The teaching industry isn’t what it was years ago. Over time, changes such as the adoption of technology for online learning have shown the need to rethink how we teach. In this post, we’ll address what being an educator means and how you can grow your career.
If you’re planning to take a higher education teaching certificate soon, analyze your motivations, skill sets, and what you want to achieve. Research the industry and also the job responsibilities and take time to determine whether you still want to pursue this career.
So how do you become an effective educator or a better teacher ?
Constant Self-improvement
As stated, the education sector has changed. This means the teaching tactics that worked years ago are rapidly becoming obsolete. As you pursue your education career, focus on constantly improving yourself. This might be a good time to expand your education level and take an additional education course or acquire a higher education teacher certification.
Attend workshops, conferences, training, and seminars to increase your knowledge and improve your skills. Keeping up with the changes as they occur will ensure that your teaching practices remain relevant in the long run.
Reevaluate your performance
Evaluation helps you to spot patterns and trends in your teaching practices. At this point, evaluate your performance and that of your students for the last few terms – what has changed? Has the class participation level reduced or increased? What about the grades?
You can also ask students for honest feedback. This can help you identify areas that students like and don’t like in your teaching. While students can be harsh, don’t focus too much on the hostility, take it for what it’s worth. Notice your strengths and let them inspire you to work on your weaknesses.
Learn from others
Peer learning goes a long way. Some areas of your teaching methods may require attention and learning from other teachers can help you cover the gaps. Attend classes of other teachers and observe how they teach, communicate, interact with students, etc.
When you identify a strategy to try out, don’t wait until the next semester. Try and incorporate it into your next class. But first, communicate to your students about it to avoid confusion. While at it, observe how students respond, and you can adopt it or drop it altogether.
Understand that each student is different
Teachers often go with the notion that if a few students understand the subject then the class is good to go. The slow learning is left unattended. But as an educator, you need to learn who every student is. While there are those who will grasp everything as you teach, others may need extra explaining. The best way to help is to break down the content into smaller portions. Additionally, students’ struggles can stem from other areas such as home issues. Try to help students and understand them.
Educators impact their students. And for this, you need to improve yourself, evaluate, try new things, and learn from your peers. This will help you to understand your students and what works for them.
