Dear Newbie Teacher,
Welcome to one of the most gratifying experiences in life where you will not only educate others but also yourself. For that to happen
you have to be passionate about what you do and believe in your students
ability to learn. I love teaching and would like to share with you some of the things
which I have learnt over the years:
·
We should always bear in mind that we are facilitators
in the learning process for the students. Encourage your students to give you feedback and incorporate it in your teaching strategy.
·
Teaching pedagogy should be student centered, identifying
students with different learning abilities in a classroom and addressing them
accordingly.
·
Individual feedback in a timely fashion to
motivate students and encouraging them to work on the weak areas collaboratively
and through peer mentoring
·
Engage students with a variety of classroom
activities from an article discussion to online simulation game to in-class
team competition. Our students are digital natives, talk to them in their language using education technology.
·
Teaching strategies should be mapped with the
cognitive level of learning outcome and with the level of student maturity
·
Assessments should be both formative and
summative comprising of short quizzes, time constraint assessments, case
studies, group projects and presentations to name some. Cumulatively they will
reflect the true learning for any student.
·
Be energetic in class, passion is infectious
which is good J
Happy teaching
Corollary to your last point:
ReplyDeleteGet enough sleep!
Seema, I especially agree with you that the students’ level of maturity should play a critical role in our interactions with our students. We have to meet them where they are living at the moment to begin our journey. I do find, however, that while many of my students could be described as digital natives, others might actually be better described as technophobes while still others use technology for very limited purposes, principally chatting and gaming. Ironically, I’ve found that for some of my students, their teachers are actually the ones encouraging them to explore other uses of their mobile devices. Funny new 21st Century world, isn’t it! I think you will be an excellent mentor for your newbie teacher! - Donna
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna!
DeleteI agree with you on that not all of our students are at the same level when the use of computer technology is concerned. Some of them are more technologically savvy as compared to their peers. I have found the use of integrated projects to be very useful in encouraging them to use technology. And in the process I also learn something new and useful.
do you always enjoy your classes?
ReplyDeletePersonally speaking, teaching is a fulfilling experience at various levels. I whole idea of being able to make a difference makes the exercise more meaningful. At the same time, I find the energy in the classroom very invigorating.
DeleteI connect instantly and very strongly with the young and the elderly (which is a discussion for another day). Young people exude so much raw energy; full of dreams and aspiration, they are a source of hope and joy to this world. I am not just a teacher but a facilitator, helping them believe in themselves without judging them and giving them the space to evolve. I discuss the same in one of my earlier posts Teaching Pedagogy.