It can be hard to remember the students name especially depending on the amount of interactions you may have one-on-one. I'm suggesting to myself to do better and start conversations in the beginning or on first day of introduction. I will have the student speak their name and give an interesting something about themselves.
I am not very good with names.
I have learned its very important to present yourself in a confident and competent manner as an example for students because you are oftentimes the first or only example they have for the image of the profession.
Over prepare for the first few classes to ensure that you are confident in how you present material. If you are speaking to fast make sure that you take a breath and slow down. We are human and humans make mistakes, laugh at it and use that mistake as a learning experience for the students. Be prompt in handing graded papers back so everyone knows where they stand in the class.
While human instructors often set themselves off for failure , by getting into their way of making the very best first impression of themselves to students. The fear of the unknown can prove to be very daunting if not caroused . Feelings of insecurity can be paralyzing . Remembering that we are the experts either from work experience of content matter should be enough to allay some of the jitters . Acknowledging mistakes can also alleviate some undue pressures. Students expect that we present ourselves as professionals and they pay for our expertise , they feel cheated when that is not what is delivered. Being disorganized physically can also send messages that we are mentally disorganized as well
Being prepared is best practice.
Don't talk down to students or make them feel like a failure.
Always be over prepared so students stay active.
I struggle with understanding, especially on certain subjects, that the students may not share the same passion I have for the subject. Not only do I expect them to know more than they really should, but I expect them to also have the same excitment during class or when answering a question.
Comment on Natasha Ramirez's post:
Natasha,
I am struggling with the same issue. The very thought of "what ifs" are one of my major barriers that I am purposefully practicing to avoid.
Don't be a buddy to my students, and be organized!
expecting you out of people isnt reality giving them the tools to be better is my job.
Comment on pete mata's post: Remembering names is critical, you can call them out when trouble happens is very powerful.
As I am my own worst critic I am aware that planning and preparing are two key components for me. I had the opportunity to teach my first clinicals yesterday and it was quite interesting and left me feeling okay about my ability to do this. I may not have taught before however I am really good at asking questions if I am unsure about something, and I found that if I talked to my students as adults it worked out better. They are after all adults and more importantly they for the most part are already working in the medical field to some degree or another.
Always come prepared, organized, and confident that you know what your are doing. It is okay that a professor makes a mistake. Own it.
Unexpected things happen, learn how to approach each one.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Learning to become an instructor that cares for the students and their success.
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.
