Posted by Llurpsie_Noodle on January 17, 2007, at 20:09:04
In reply to still scared about teaching, posted by philyra on January 17, 2007, at 18:42:16
((((Philrya))))
those are some hugs you can take with you to class tomorrow :)
Here are some things that you can repeat to yourself if you find that you have illogical or maladaptive thoughts:
1) you do NOT have to be a world-renowned expert to be an effective instructor. You need to know something, and you need to be curious to know more. that's all
2) You cannot give the best lecture of your life every week.
3) Every class you teach, every week you teach is one LESS week you need to worry about
4) Focus on the student's progress- do they seem interested and engaged? Are they turning in quality assignments? If a few students seem to be "getting it" then you are doing your job. If even half of the students seem to be "getting it" then you are doing your job well.
5) Why do you want to teach this class?
6) Be honest- what would you *really* be doing with your time if you weren't preparing for class? (me: I'd probably be sleeping more, watching more TV, going out more, reading less, writing less, thinking less)
7) Can you agree to give yourself a break those weeks when you're not super-comfortable with the material? It's okay to say to the class- "This week I'm lecturing on _____ . I admit that it is not the topic that comes most naturally to me, but I think that it's so important that I'm going to try really hard to teach it anyways. I hope I do it justice, but please let me know if you have any questions. I certainly don't want to confuse anybody"
8) The class will only go on for ___ more weeks. No matter what, you will get paid, and no matter what, you can still put this on your resume/ CV.
9) Repeat after me: There is no one else in the world who can give this lecture better than I can at this moment in time. This is MY powerpoint, dammit, and these are MY words and MY ideas.
10) Remember that often the best teachers are those who have had to struggle with the material themselves. Pedagogues who have been able to breeze through life often have a hard time appreciating what are difficult topics and what are easier topics. Nothing is more frustrating than a lecture from a genius that you cannot comprehend.
((((more hugs for you))))I carry a lucky charm in my pocket on lecture days. usually a coin, or a chunk of beach glass.
-Ll
poster:Llurpsie_Noodle
thread:721425
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/studs/20070113/msgs/723421.html