What a great analogy, I never thought of it like this, but teaching most certainly IS like white water rafting. During the “ride,” there are parts that will be “smooth sailing,” but other parts that may be compared to being on “the rapids” and consisting of many ups and downs, twists and turns in the road or “river”—and if you don’t hang on, you’re going out (of the raft). When teaching, the material may be the same, but in reality, no two classes are ever really the same. Sometimes, thank goodness we have on our life jackets.
Sometimes classes (or students) just pick right up on the curriculum, and other times you have to work really hard to get through to them. One of the greatest joys of teaching is when you actually “see” when the students actually “get it!” As we’ve previously learned, it’s because there are differently learning and teaching styles which can affect any given learning situation.
The first time I had to teach electronics was probably the single scariest time in my teaching career. I was used to teaching about aircraft, but supervision needed a female to teach what they considered “the basics,” so I was told I was going to teach electronics, soldering, etc. I was pretty proficient in each area EXCEPT for the electronic portion-- I just didn’t get it. Thank goodness we had the basic lesson plans and I had some students in the first couple of classes that really understood about electronics. I would go home at night and my husband would work with me to tell me how to explain the next day’s lesson. It was far from the ideal learning situation for me and I’m sure, my students. I felt it was terrible, but they actually learned, though Heavens knows how they learned (smile). I believe it was the second time I had to teach it that I was drawing an electronic component on the board and I finally got it. It was like, “Wow…that really is easy.”
I will always remember that teaching experience and never, ever, want to repeat it. I don’t care how much time and effort I have to put into it before hand, but I will LEARN the information before standing up in front of someone and try to teach them. It just isn’t fun. Besides, as the teacher/instructor, YOU’RE supposed to be the subject matter expert!
5 comments:
Hi Shelley,
I can relate to your experience. One of the tings you stated is that some of the students had electronic experience. Did you think about initiating an activity with the experience and less experience to review a particular part of the lesson plan and then having each student teach back? I know this has been beneficial to me in a similar situation. This also makes the instructor REAL- kinda like white water rapids ;) Tina M
Shelly, Be prepared certainly makes the difference when instructing. I believe that as a teacher I need to know what I am talking about. Not only the reading and the understanding but the application. Getting in the trenches and doing it hands on works for me.
If I get stuck or don't know the answer to a question, I make sure I let them know that while I don't know now, I will certainly find out and get back to them.
Great analogy!
Hi Shelley, One suggestion I have for this problem is to utilize the students in your class who were really good at the electronic part. Turn it into a student centered approach and assign them parts of the lecture and possibly give extra credit for the students who stepped forward.
i teach Phlebotomy (drawing blood)a lot. I usually have one or two students who have done it before and then always have a hand full who need my attention all the time. I utilize the students that have the experience to help other students and if i can I like to put them one on one to guide them through so I can be everywhere else in the classroom.
Tonia Watson-Pieffer
Shelly,
First off, I got this to post just fine, so either your changes worked or I did something right for a change... (LOL)
It sounds scary to teach a subject that you are not good at enough to consider yourself an expert at it. And then you stated that the students you were teaching electronics to were supervisors on top of it, which must have really set you on edge. Are you more proficient at soldering now? It was good that you had some students who could assist you. I have had a few trainees who knew their stuff and were taking my training to get the extra endorsements, but those drivers always had to be broken of their bad habits before they could proceed forward. Have you ever had to untrain a student in order to train them correctly?
Ron
It was scary, Ron. It was just one of those subjects that I couldn't get. Once the lightbulb clicked, it ended up being one of my favorite subjects to teach. Funny, isn't it.
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