My teaching has grown immensely during the last three years. I look forward to seeing my students, being with them and interacting. I believe that I feel this way because I have much more confidence in what I teach and how I am teaching it. Through different trials, I have experimented on what seems to connect the lesson and the student. Many times it is the personal level of talking about my career and experiences and having the students contribute with their personal stories, family experiences, etc.. One year, one of my students brought in his own family members X-ray and I had the students do a group research project on his aunt's diagnosis and prognosis. I have learned that just lecturing facts and figures is not one of the best avenues for learning.
I also have had great advice and collaborations with many of my colleagues including Veronica Farlow, Will Brightman, Bob Cuomo and also from one of my mentors, Steve Lowery. I have been advised that connection and rapport are some of the greatest ways to get lessons taught to my students and I do agree. I see it for my own eyes.
I began to use tools during my first year and have expanded them to make my instruction interesting and organized. Using rubrics sets a clear objective and standards to guide the student and increase satisfaction on both the educator and students side. I learned that teenaged students need a "catch-up" period in the morning to socialize and warm up to learning. They also need movement breaks. You may see me in warmer weather leading my students out and around the building some days just to move and breathe! That was not something that other instructors encouraged, but I found that I could handle the students and I came back to a more receptive student body after these breaks. So, each teacher has their own "recipes" and what works for some, may not for others.
My past three years have been full of trials, observations, and researching. It has been full of learning for myself, not just the students and I have truly enjoyed it all. I look forward to still learning and finding new ways to grow and challenge and encourage these amazing young people!
I also have had great advice and collaborations with many of my colleagues including Veronica Farlow, Will Brightman, Bob Cuomo and also from one of my mentors, Steve Lowery. I have been advised that connection and rapport are some of the greatest ways to get lessons taught to my students and I do agree. I see it for my own eyes.
I began to use tools during my first year and have expanded them to make my instruction interesting and organized. Using rubrics sets a clear objective and standards to guide the student and increase satisfaction on both the educator and students side. I learned that teenaged students need a "catch-up" period in the morning to socialize and warm up to learning. They also need movement breaks. You may see me in warmer weather leading my students out and around the building some days just to move and breathe! That was not something that other instructors encouraged, but I found that I could handle the students and I came back to a more receptive student body after these breaks. So, each teacher has their own "recipes" and what works for some, may not for others.
My past three years have been full of trials, observations, and researching. It has been full of learning for myself, not just the students and I have truly enjoyed it all. I look forward to still learning and finding new ways to grow and challenge and encourage these amazing young people!