My biggest worry is appearing competent. Teaching is still new to me and I'm worried about looking like I don't know what I'm doing. I really like the idea of making notes in my planner so I can remember how things went in a certain class. I will definitely be giving this a try!
Do not enter into the field worried about the "what if's"
I learned that being organized and overprepared for class will help us as educators not only gain confidence but will also help us grow as knowledge experts. Stop thinking negatively and focus on the content. Creating guided notes will also help your students be organized themselves and cover all the important areas they need to learn.
Preparing for the class and staying organized are crucial for success. Slowing down the pace of lectures and giving time for students to take notes.
I need to slow down, and make sure I'm over prepared beforehand to help reduce anxiety and help me to stick to my plan and have back up plans for when things don't work the way I thought they would.
I learned to make notes about a lecture after it occurs that way I can ascertain what worked and what needs improvement.
Mistakes happen, we learn from our mistakes. We need to remember the mistakes that already happen. Try our best never to repeat again.
Take notes of your lectures, avoid repeating same mistakes.
There is no such thing as a perfect instructor. A strategy for avoiding repeating some of the above mistakes is to make notes about how a lecture, demonstration, or activity worked for you. With the pressure of preparing for the next class and student demands it is easy to forget how the class went. Make a few notes in the margin of your lesson-planning notebook.
Be willing to make mistakes.
Be humble and laugh it off. Then, learn from it.
Being prepared for your class is very important- not only for you as an instructor but also the students.
I remember my first year in college I took a Chemistry class. The professor started by asking us to look around. By the withdrawal date half of the class would not be there. Those that finish the class, half would fail. He was correct, but what a way to start a class. I would never start that way.
It cant be stressed enough, overpreparing. That first 50 minute lecture you have planned will go by in 15 minutes.
This module has helped me take a better look at how my students may view me. It also reminded me that it's ok to learn from my mistakes and move forward to be a better teacher. In the same way, I need to create an environment in which students know it's ok to take risks and make mistakes.
I have to admit as an instructor I do worry about things that actually never happen. I think I tend to give too much information at one time and need to decrease the scoops of information I serve at one time.
Learning to become an instructor that cares for the students and their success.
I am getting to teach my first class in a couple weeks and Ill be sure to avoid some of the mistakes that firs time instructors make. I will not let the students know that this is my first class until the end of the course so they can give me proper feedback. My course has feedback sheets for every lesson and I plan on teach a few lessons for the 3 week class so ill be able to apply that feedback and change how i teach for the next class in March.
Being over prepared can help alleviate not having enough material. Come to class organized and ready to teach. Be professional in both appearance and delivery of lessons and assignments.
Looking back after teaching my very first semester I did make a lot of mistakes, yet I have learned a lot after taking notes and learning how to be better organized. I just finished my first lecture of my second semester lecture and it went so much better and I received positive feedback by overpreparing and making a list of all of the objectives I needed to cover.
Make sure you stay in teacher/instructor mode is important so students do not think they are your friend and that lines can be crossed. It is important to stay professional and not to cross professional lines.
