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Friday, October 23, 2009
How Should Teachers Teach?
NY Times today reported on the status of teacher training programs. That got me thinking. If you could teach a class in your major subject, how would you teach it? Tell us the class you are considering and give examples of how it could be changed or improved and made better. Look to the right and vote on your experiences with Baylor faculty.
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My major is studio art and if I taught it would include multiple steps. For each project I would:
ReplyDelete1. show an example of what I am looking for the project to look like so they aren't blindly working
2. explain how to do the project
3. give a sheet out explaining how to do the project (b/c students always forget!)
4. be accessible to help but not stand behind the student (it makes them nervous)
5. when grading, grade on how they've improved, not grade compared to other students
6. provide positive feedback including ideas on how to improve their next project
7. always ALWAYS treat students equally, even the ones that aren't as skilled
I could go for this approach as well. I especially like the last comment. Amen.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a teacher of a nutrition class, I would teach it with a lot of enthusiasm because the subject otherwise is kind of boring. I would bring in interesting videos to watch when we get to the chapters about translation, transcription, and metabolism, all subjucts that have steps that are difficult to understand if they are just read and not seen drawn out. Also, for different vitamins and minerals i would have worksheets or charts so that they are easier to categorize and therefore memorize, instead of just reading. In closing the main thing my students would say about me at the end of the semester is that I gave alot of supplements additional study aides and material because i want to see the succeed.
ReplyDeleteIf I could take over my British Literature class, I would not spend it lecturing the entire hour.
ReplyDelete1. Read a section in the book
2. Ask a question about a certain area and allow students to do creative writing for a few minutes on what they believe it means.
2. Come prepared to discuss in small groups our thoughts in class as well as the piece.
3. Discuss it as a whole class
4. Provide visual imagery such as charts connecting characters to others, themes, etc.
5. Possibly write a paper
I honestly would try my hardest to make it fun and us different learning styles because lecturing doesn't always stick. I would give out study guides along with notes so they could study things. Biology class is one where the teacher even though we have labs should do example in class and maps of the structures. This would be very helpful to see examples.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important part of teaching a class is the amount of enthusiasm and passion that the teacher has for the material they are teaching. If a professor stands at the front of the class, lecturing in a monotoned voice for an hour, students are NOT going to get anything out of the class. However, if the professor is enthusiastic and makes learning fun and interesting, students will enjoy coming to class a little more and may be more prone to putting in more effort.
ReplyDeleteI just recently switched my major to Speech Pathology so I am not sure how I would teach those classes, simply because I haven't taken one yet. However, I was a Pre-Dent student and someone needs to help the science department because the professors are a main reason why i switched my major.
Alright well I'm going to be an MIS major, my first MIS class (last year) was structured horribly for the class. MIS is extremely computer heavy, while the projects were down through computers our test (like most) were on paper, which works great for most classes. However in my opinion when you're tested over material it should be as close to how you will actually use it as possible. The paper formatted test we had for MIS, in my opinion didn't test our knowledge of the subject very well. If I were to teach the class I would definitely make it more hands on.
ReplyDeleteI would probably choose to teach the class World Religions or a class on the topic of culture. I would provide a variety of learning methods in class to help the students soak in the information in an almost natural way. A lot of hands on work and visial representations of what I am trying to get across while teaching. When my professors mainly lecture the whole class without any visual representation or notes to write out.
ReplyDelete....it makes it more difficult to pay attention and understand their passion for the subject.
ReplyDeleteTo teach a class in my opinion, I would have to approach each session with a new template. For example if I were to teach Bio I, I would have to know and understand that every class will have different audiences. What I mean by this is that every class will react differently towards you in respects to the feedback given. So, I guess the point that I am trying to convey is I would need to modify my expectations for every class and be as supportive as I can be to the students.
ReplyDeleteTo teach a class I think there should be several types of interaction. Of course power points are informational but usually boring. I think there should be some group projects and discussions. There should be visual examples and maybe a few games to make learning more fun.
ReplyDeleteIf I was going to teach a fashion class I would try and make it as interesting as possible. I would definitely want to get the class engaged in what I am teaching, so i would have many class discussions and things of that sort. I also think it is important to have an open door policy, because a lot of times students do not like to talk in front of an entire class they prefer to talk one on one. Another thing I would make sure of is to give proper study guides. I think study guides are important because it gives the students a chance to know what exactly to study instead of them having no idea.
ReplyDeleteIf I could teach a course it would be biology. I feel it would be more exciting to do hands on examples and interactive activities. As apposed to lecture after lecture. It becomes hard to focus when its just information.
ReplyDeleteI'm a film major, and there just isn't enough emphasis on "learning by doing". The teachers all seem to agree that the best way to get better is through experience, but it seems like we spend most class time in discussions. Learning the tricks and discussing film is important, but there is a little too much.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to teach a class, I would have it structured and probably scheduled. But I would try to liven up the class a little bit. A class such as chemistry needs to be approached with more opportunities for practice. I feel Baylor should institute an optional class that is connected directly to the course we have difficulties with. If this class was made mandatory this is where the professor could give out quizzes and go over homework. Sometimes one lecture over one chapter is not enough.
ReplyDeleteMy major is Speech Pathology and it happens that a lot of my classes are lecture style. Although this can sometimes be helpful I think I would teach it with a lot more hands on using videos of cases and clinical work. The more experience one has the better prepared they are.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to teach a class, it would be COMPLETELY opposite of how Dr. Riley, who taught Poli Sci this summer did it. You can't just pull up a power point, read it for 2 and a half hours, and expect your students to be engaged. I would have to go back to my apartment and look at my notes because I felt like I never left having learned anything. If I were to teach a psychology class, I would bring in different people and use them to demonstrate ideas and try to give my students hands-on experience. I learn the best through visual and touch, so I would enjoy extending that to other people.
ReplyDeleteif i could teach any class, it would be one that would be a fun, hands on learning, everyone is involved kinda class. and it would always be exciting and awesome
ReplyDeleteIf were to teach a psychology class I would like to teach a lecture class. I would be a laid back teacher who taught based on slides, however I would not just simply recite the the words on the slides, I would explain it to the students in a way they will understand. I would also give the students a syllabus with suggested reading dates for their textbook and a schedule for test dates. This is the way my Neuroscience class was structured and it worked very well.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Makenzie Mason's teaching strategy. I am also a studio art major so I understand what your talking about. I feel like my teacher grades based on every on others in the class and not no progress. I also feel like he's more interested in the more talented students and he spends more time working with them. If I were teaching the course I would provide equal help to all the other students. I would also keep in mind that not everyone is an art god and therefore can't draw.
ReplyDeleteIf I were teaching a math class the first thing I would change is I would only offer my class on MWF. In my opinion, going over the material slightly slower and more often with a MWF schedule allows the students more time to see and understand the new material. Among the math classes that I have taken so far, the classes that were held MWF turned out so much better in the long run, simply because of their more frequent class sessions. After changing that aspect of the math class, there’s not much I can suggest to change, because I simply hate math!
ReplyDeleteIf I were to teach a public relations class, I would rarely have my students sitting in a classroom. The most important thing about learning the skills that would make someone good at doing Public Relations is getting comfortable interacting with people, asking hard questions, and writing in a way that benefits who your writing for. I would give my students writing assignments that would require them to step outside their comfort zones and talk to people they never thought they would. Interview people in local waco businesses, administrators at Baylor. I would have them pretend to represent a company and have to plan events and coordinate with each other to practice relating to other companies so that they can handle real experience they will come across in the work field.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the first comment, there is no reason to treat students equally, this is not grade school, and bringing an apple to class won't get you an A, light a fire under your work habit and COMPETE! That is how life works after grade school, catch up with the learning curve.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Brittani Bearb (hey sista! haha) and Claire Berlinsky.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the science professors need to find a new way to teach, get the class involved (lab does not count), because I seriously dread taking science courses because of the lack of interaciton and enthusiasm.
I agree with Claire because I am also a PR major and the major thing you need is EXPERIENCE. You have to be able to get out of your comfort zone and do things you never thought you'd do, because you never know what might come up in any situation you are handling while working in PR. Something could go awfully wrong, and it's on you to fix it/handle it smoothly. So I would definitely make sure my students had as much experience as I could possibly give them.
I would teach High School Biology but I would use concrete concepts and analogies that the students could relate to. For example, my high school biology taught the processes of photosynthesis in with a catchy tune or song that explained all the biochemical reactions but also helped you remember it because it was to a song that every one could relate to. Pop goes the weasel. Yes, it might sound a bit childish but if it helps them remember the material and understand it that is ultimately what a teacher tries to accomplish.
ReplyDeleteI just changed my major to History so if I could teach a course in history I would do so like my American History teacher I had in high school. She was very fun and made me and many others want to learn. She never tried to trick us on any questions on the exams and always supplied a study guide. I think the study guides really helped because we would get credit for doing them which benefited us in more than one way. Also teachers need to be able to find ways to relate to students, I feel like a lot of time you go to class and just sit and listen to lectures then leave. Maybe teachers should interact with their students more.
ReplyDeleteSImple... I'd try to make the class more like a discussion!
ReplyDeletePeople could go up to the board and write out or draw out w/e their opinions were...
of course there would de a certain amount of time allowed on each topic then id teach my material and then let the class have a discussion...with me involved of course.
Im a chem major and it can be tricky. I would stick strongly to the whole "no one left behind" thing. Make sure that everyone is where they need to be with the material and information. The class shouldnt be about trying to get an "A" but about learning and understanding the information taught and displayed.
ReplyDeleteOkay so something i noticed was how baylor seems to not able to get across Brit Lit. For that class i would have 3-4 books. I would take my time. I would have a few papers and two tests. I would then let the final Be a paper. That way you can show what you learned. For teaching, i would do class discussion and lecture. I would also move around to outside areas and different places. I would show clips and ask questions. That seems to be a good way
ReplyDeleteSince I am a Political Science major I would def. change the way they teach 2302, it is a very hard class to some people. I think for this class i would tell the students what they need to know and give them basic summarys of the cases and the outcomes and why they are significant.
ReplyDeleteI would likely teach art, however since I'm presently imagining I'll teach for a small private school for middle school kids, I'll explain the processes I'm imagining for them.
ReplyDelete1. We would explore every medium. Starting with pencil, then watercolor pencil, then watercolors, then graphite, then charcoal, then comte crayon, and eventually, acrylic and oil paint. I believe these are listed in a progression of skill level.
2. We would start by practicing form, shadow, and perspective, then move into appropriate concepts...a close up object, landscape, buildings, and stilllife as they coordinate to the above skills.
3. Students would make a portfolio, listing their pieces and learn to describe them for themselves so they knew what they were making and how they wanted to show it. Make the pieces personal.
4. There would be a final project of any medium and size where the student could do whatever they wanted and only had to supply a list of the hours and materials they put into it, along with a paper description of the statement or concept they made.
Professors should try their hardest to engage students in the material during lectures but make a point to be easily approachable and available outside of class.
ReplyDelete