Olds Dog Can Learn New Tricks

So, we're at the back end of this first course on teaching, or rather improving one's teaching style and there's some expectation that we take what we're doing in class this week and reflect upon it in the context of what we've learned.  Upon reflection, the biggest benefit to me this week was utilizing BOPPPS in at least some of lectures, or rather as a framework or wellspring from which to build my lectures that day.  It is surprising how much more fulfilling it can be...for me for sure, and one would hope for at least a portion of my tender charges in the classroom...there's a certain more orderliness that I now rely upon, perhaps weirdly, in both a pre- and a post-delivery manner.  Things also seem a little less manic but as with change in anything, and as the saying goes,'Rome wasn't built in a day,' expectations also need to be built realistically too.

Why do I say this?  An example.  I am manic, my delivery is often manic; fast-paced and active would be the minimum I would suggest as descriptors for what I thought was the former me-in-the-classroom.  Until today...one single issue pinpointed that I ain't there yet, may never be, but at least if recognition is part of the solution, then at least I'm part way there.  The example?  The proverbial rhetorical question.  In other words, we often ask the question, quite typically already knowing the answer, but in my case, there's never much of a pause between Q&A...as in ever. In my hurry to get things done, to cross off the coverage of item on the list, to NOT let it gets in the way of progress and perhaps, I just don't listen.  I think I do, but I suspect that I also sometimes don't.

Half way through a difficult topic today, I realized that the gap, the space, the void, the silent hesitation between Q&A was quite simply non-existent.  I know that this is a problem, my colleagues brought this up specifically in my demo teaching moment in this course, yet here I was back to my old tricks again.  You know what I did?  I adjusted.  Didn't take much, just some realization  that I'd lapsed.  And the strangest thing?  The students noticed immediately when the gap became self-evident.  I'd like to think that more students gave answers or participated because of the lapse, but what I did notice was that they paid more attention.  One student, from her reaction, I swear thought I was going to get angry or say something to try and motivate folks...of course I wasn't and didn't, but that void, that 'hole' caught them off-guard and at least had them paying much more attention to what I was saying...it's really as easy as counting...One thousand and one, one thousand and two.  A pause.  Magic.

FLIF ...or how I survived my demo

Well, we're nearly done....for some reason, the timing of this mini-course that I thought was just perfect for a low business period was completely out of whack.  Crazy busy is how I would describe my working and personal life over these past 3 weeks.  And this made me think about the quality of my attempts in the classroom...a lot.  I think I'm capable of crafting good enough, perhaps even periodically outstanding product for the classroom, but my attempts are frequently confounded by the multitudinous obligations that careen around my existence on a seemingly daily basis.  I don'y plan it t be this way, it just, well, happens.  And it affects my teaching and the products I generate, just as it affected what I did for my demo last week. And what happens if I can't find the time to go over before I do it again?!  Do we have enough time to do the job we're supposed to be doing?  It appears so on paper but I'm less inclined to agree, even tacitly.  Is it the pedagogy that we don't know or the time we don't have?

On to FLIF and how my presentation went.  Sage advice from our Andrea here on this one...here I am thinking I can shove bucketloads of information into the observers...I guess I'm like a value shopper in this sense....give 'em lots, so what if they gag on it!?  I timed my presentation and it came in just about right...only possible when I cut it in half.  BOPPPS worked for me for sure and I have to include it in everything I do from heron in...you know, with all of that time I have as mentioned above.  But do it I must.

'F' or how did I feel?  More bothered than normal because I don't want to look bad in front of colleagues whom do the same thing as me every day.  But it went better than I thought it would and I could see how pace and feedback works very well when I'm paying real attention.  Methinks that I sometimes focus too much on what the information is as opposed to the rate of delivery and whether they're getting it.  I suppose I would classify myself as 'impatient'...it's true!  Me!  My almost complete inability to wait more than a millisecond after asking a question was all too self-evident...my pace isn't everyone else's, which in some ways is a total bummer, but it's okay too.

'L' or did I like what I did.  Yes, I love karate and I felt glorious and free whilst demonstrating it and having others get it.  Competence in others is truly gratifying...it's their achievement, but I still get a buzz.  The negatives came up in the form of wishing I'd done something just a little differently...repeating the move(s) and allowing people time to practice setting.  Perhaps my nervousness simply got the better of me and I felt time was a-wasting?  You see, I commit to Total Quality Management (LEAN) but my practise shows I have a long way to go before I give the goods that optimize client satisfaction.

'I' or improve....in retrospect, I could write a book about a 10 minute demo, but I won't.  Pace - too fast; repetition - not sufficient; ppt! - wish I had one like my two colleagues!  And so on and so forth...

'F' or feedback.  Holy awkward!  You want to be positive, you want to be constructive, you want to be honest.  And I was, to the extent that I felt comfortable.  I figure that if I'd known everyone a bit more thoroughly and for a longer period of time, it would have been easier.  As it was, I'm the geezer teacher whilst my colleagues as relative newbies put forward a solid effort.  Made me think of asking students to deliver a seminar when they don't have anywhere near the experience I have.  Construct and commit get better.  The feedback given to me was very spot on...you generally have a pretty good idea where you muffed it up...nothing surprising except perhaps that they all picked it up!  Blimey!  It's that obvious?  So clearly I need to adjust and adjust I have.