One of the greatest impacts that people can have in life is through education. It plays a vital role shaping tomorrows leaders and future professionals, as consequence teaching cannot be taken lightly. Under this scope, it is critical to develop an appropriate teaching approach due to the monumental effect that professors might have on students’ life.
In my attempting and exploration to answer the How of my last post, I ended creating my personalized teaching model, which I named “CAR” (create, acknowledge and remember). The idea of this model was to identify the key aspects to determine my own teaching style.
CAR
|
As a teacher: |
With the students:
|
CREATE |
-Comfortableness
-Plan A, B, C and D |
-Engagement
-Interest
-Boundaries |
ACKNOWLEDGE |
-Role: guide and facilitate
-Refine and update |
-Efforts
-Achievements |
REMEMBER |
-Cards on the table
-PEE |
-Variety
-Skills |
Create:
As teacher, it is critical to create comfortableness with what we are teaching. This is referred to the preparation and familiarity with the topic. In addition, the creation of a plan B, C and D can help to be flexible. Sometimes, even under a great pacification, and as most as we want to have things under control, things happen and we must be prepared. It is critical to kill the panic, breath, chill out, and let the class take its own course.
With students, the creation of engagement and interest on the class can change the whole experience for both parties. Also, the creation of boundaries are the guidelines to set expectations, and responsibilities form both sides.
Acknowledge:
As teacher, is fundamental to acknowledge that the role is to facilitate and guide the process of learning. The need to refine and update, this two will help to enhance my teaching methods and change what is not working to create a smooth teach-learn process.
With students, to acknowledge their efforts and achievement to maintain the class motivated.
Remember:
As teacher, remembering to put all the rules and cards on the table at the beginning of the course. Furthermore, let the students decide and be part of the game. Which means that students can get involved in the process by suggesting, changing and proposing. Furthermore, it is crucial to always be aware of the “PPE” of teaching (passion, preparation and energy).
With students, that by nature a human being is unique and different. So, there will be a notable variation among students, with different skills and backgrounds. This last, underlined the need to incorporate different methods to ensure that everybody has an opportunity to learn and develop the desire skills.
Finally, to have an accurate answer of the How: Just do it!
It might sound as a Nike advertisement, but it is completely true. I would never know if the model described above is effective unless I try it.
About the author,
Sofia Rincon Gallardo Patino, hate to wash dishes and do her laundry.