Providing a good educational experience is good for the bottom line!
An educational institution that provides a quality learning experience for its students should be a successful business mode. Satisfied students are the best testimonials for an institution. The key is to avoid greed and balance the competing priorities of investment and return.
We are not only educators but also entertainers. Presenting an education that keeps the student interested in coming back also helps overcome many of the other classroom barriers instructors encounter with their students.
That is the most difficult part of the job. At my last employment we had many training sessions and most were just sleeping opportunties. There was one trainer that could take the most boring subject and keep you on the edge of your seat. I believe that is a gift although some of us that do not have that gift can do things to make the training more interesting. Just using real world examples can be a start.
Mark,
Many career college faculty members are professionals who have not received a lot of formal training in instructional methodology. They love their field and have a desire to share that passion with their students.
If we can develop superior teaching skills through training in methodology, then the students' experience will be even richer. That is why faculty training is so important in our schools.
Your comment is 100% accurate. Most individuals can stand before a group of students and show a PowerPoint or read from a book but the best educators are those that entertain and keep the interest of the student. Humor and life's experiences go a long way in the classroom and will keep the students coming back for more. The challenge for some educators, is learning how to relax and understand that this form of presenting is educating as well.
Thanks, Jennifer. Good instructors are natural "edutainers." If the students do not laugh, (or at least smile), when they are class, they are less likely to come to class or to learn while they are there. Positive emotions have a way of imprinting knowledge more effectively.
During a 50 minute lecture I sometimes see students "tuning out". I know that it is time to stop the lecture and time to talk about some other topic or an anecdote about my experiences, or introduce some humor. After I have the students attention I can continue the lecture
Amjad,
Lecture can be ineffective. Studies suggest no more than 20 minutes before an activity.
Jeffrey Schillinger
