VOLUME XI, NUMBER 19

#& INNOVATION ABSTRACTS

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PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DE VELOPMENT, Ua ROB Olga hfe led

WITH SUPPORT FROM THE W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION AND THE SID W. RICHARDSON FOUNDATION

 

; : classroom. The personal relationship that is
Enhan cing Your En thusiasm developed by having students share their back-
grounds with the class, by calling on students by
Enthusiasm. Think of the classes and workshops you name, and by “working one-on-one with stu-
have taken where the instructor was so excited about dents having trouble,” personalizes our experi-
being there, where his/her energy for the material and ence of teaching. As teachers, we are more
for learning was so strong that the whoie class was stimulated and more excited about teaching
carried to another level. Remember the courses you when we know the people in our classes.
have taken where the instructor’s enthusiasm was so 3. Appreciating the important role we play in our
great that you couldn’t help but become involved in the students’ lives. As teachers, we significantly
subject matter and in the classroom experience. Per- influence the lives of our students. Simply by
haps we need to approach stimulating student interest our personality and our manner, we positively
by exploring the enthusiasm we bring to the classroom. and/or negatively influence our students’ self-
Are there steps we can take to enhance our enthusi- images and their feclings about the subject
asm and thereby create exciting learning experiences for matter and learning. By reminding ourselves of
our students? I surveyed the more than 100 full- and the instructors in our past who helped turn us off
part-time faculty members at Santa Fe Community to a particular subject and remembering those
College, where | am an instructor, to find out how they who helped us open doors in our minds, we are
develop their enthusiasm. The survey (43 faculty motivated to more positively and effectively
members responded to the written survey) revealed 10 present ourselves and the subject matter.
different approaches which we can utilize to explore
and expand the joy and excitement we bring to our B. APPROACHES FOCUSING ON THE
courses. I have grouped the 10 approaches (with some INSTRUCTOR’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE
of the instructors’ comments) into three categories: SUBJECT MATTER.
those approaches that focus on a) the instructor-student 1. Loving our subject matter. Several instructors
relationship, b) the instructor's relationship to the spoke of how their enthusiasm sprang from
subject matter, and c) the instructor’s classroom teach- “falling in love” with their subject matter. Deep
ing style. feclings for our field of expertise, a keen interest
in “new discoveries or ideas,” and “excitement”
A. APPROACHES FOCUSING ON THE for our professions are strong motivators. By
INSTRUCTOR-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP. loving what we teach, we more profoundly
1. Paying attention to the joy of watching students inspire our students.
learn. Several instructors expressed how excited 2. Teaching new and/or a variety of courses. An-
they felt “witnessing the glow in students’ eyes other technique for enhancing the enthusiasm we
when they realize that they’ ve just learned some- bring to the classroom is by “teaching a variety
thing important.” We can use the joy of watch- of subjects.” For example, by volunteering to
ing “when the light bulb clicks on” in a student’s teach something we've never taught before, we
mind as a motivation for becoming better teach- experience an awareness of the challenges that
ers. The excitement that students experience as our students face on a daily basis. Teaching a
they learn can inspire excitement within our- varicty of courses can help us keep that certain
selves and motivate us to actively seck out new edge of vitality, of freshness to our presentations.
ways Of stimulating student learning. 3. Appreciating the importance of what we teach
2. Developing a personal relationship with stu- to our students’ lives. We can enhance our en-
dents. By getting to know students and by thusiasm by keeping in mind the “critically
sharing with students, many instructors create a important” role the subject matter will play in
“personal” bond that motivates them in the the lives of our students. Whether it is teaching

 

; (= THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD)
{q),; Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin
” EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712

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