Self delusions are powerful
Once a teacher has a teaching or training position they believe that they can stop learning. I know that this does not apply to all trainers but in my experience it applies to a large number.
The trainers I have spoken to believe that they don't need to continue learning because they know all they need to know to teach people. Clearly they haven't asked their students about this.
Straight from the students mouths
As part of my review I spoke with various students from the Tafe being reviewed about their experiences with teachers and what could be done better to help students learn more effectively.
Once a teacher has a teaching or training position they believe that they can stop learning. I know that this does not apply to all trainers but in my experience it applies to a large number.
The trainers I have spoken to believe that they don't need to continue learning because they know all they need to know to teach people. Clearly they haven't asked their students about this.
Straight from the students mouths
As part of my review I spoke with various students from the Tafe being reviewed about their experiences with teachers and what could be done better to help students learn more effectively.
Some of the feedback about their teachers that I was told
My teacher wasn't aware that the laws had changed since the 80's
In our business studies we weren't allowed to discuss or use any social media, even if it was relevant to marketing studies
They bored us by making up read paragraphs from the text books while they did no teaching
Some of us are adults, in our 30's, and yet the teachers still treat us as kids with the rules they try and enforce that are not applicable to us
We have different ways of learning, yet few teachers try and use different methods. All they use is a whiteboard and slides.
Finding out the truth is confronting
When I presented my report on the findings of their teaching quality, many of the trainers and teachers got defensive. The old excuses came fast and straight at me.
"The students don't know anything about teaching"
"I am too experienced to go back to learning"
"I have been teaching for over 30 years"
"My students are too difficult to control"
"They can't be bothered to learn"
If any of these have been stated by you, then I have some challenging news for you. As a teacher, you have the responsibility to teach others and this means learning how to adapt to all the changes in the industry.
Even challenging students. No teacher is so experienced that they cannot learn anything new, and just being a teacher for 30 years doesn't make you a good teacher.
Get back into the classroom
Trainers and teachers need to enrol as a student in training courses again so that they can experience what the students face everyday. It is once you forget what it is like to be a student, that you lose the ability to understand what is needed to teach.
Like any role, you need to be in the other person's shoes from time to time so you see their point of view.
There are no difficult students just ineffective teaching.
Information supplied by Paul Baker
Over twenty years of business development & change management strategies successfully used in National organisations across Australia. The focus is on continuous improvement of business systems to stimulate growth through our principles of Initiate, Inspire, Innovate.
Customer-centric focus using our extensive experience in consumer behaviour and business process operations to find ways to help business owners manage their organisations.
Article Source: Paul Baker
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