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I was surprised that according to the article the main feedback for professors is student evaluations.  I remember in college I put very little effort into evaluations and left most of my best feedback unsaid.  While I understand it’s good to get feedback from the person you are serving (i.e the student), but I don’t think it should be the primary source of feedback.  Following that line of reasoning a parent’s main source of feedback would be their children and my professional source of feedback would be the person I arrest.  While they can give helpful feedback, it’s just one perspective and in no way can they see the entire picture because they are in the thick of it.  I’m glad to hear that they are implementing a more evidenced based approach.

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After reading the article, the first thing that initially surprised me was that the teacher Viji, actually thought it was effective teaching to do 70 slides in 75 minutes without any pausing or time for discussion. That is a lot to intake in such a short amount of time! But it was good of her to be able to actually recognize it and re-group because I still see new & old  teachers who are still bombarding students with info without effectively teaching it.

I do agree with the article that good teaching is a skill that is built upon and tweaked as your progress in your teaching career.  Like the article, I disagree with the thought that 'Good teachers, in short, are born and not made' because I think teaching is an ever evolving skill that is developed over time.  You can definitely have a charismatic teacher and still learn nothing, that personality isn't everything.

As for the video, it enforced bringing enthusiasm and engagement to the classroom.  Bringing that 'magic' to the classroom.  Because I myself remember taking classes where information was dumped on my and I just remember that feeling of being overwhelmed with it and that's not what I want my students to feel.

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I really liked the video. It reminded me of where I started in education compared to where I am now. The teacher prep course I took, I feel, did not prepare me how to engage students especially the at-risk youth I teach full time. Teaching high schoolers during the day and then adults who are in my class because they need the class for promotions you would think are very different but I use many of the same strategies.

I always start my classes (HS and GTC) asking what is good in their lives. This can lead into a small discussion which can build community but also shows that I care about what is going on. Also, I get the scoop on interesting fire calls that happened.

When reading the article it kept saying "good" teacher but I personally think it should have said effective instead of good.  I had my GTC students write what makes an effective teacher and their responses were: prepared, knowledgeable, understanding, and flexible. There are so many things that a teacher can do make a student successful, but as the article said it happens behinds the scenes.

When observing the instructor, I mainly watched how they interacted with their students. Were they allowing them to ask questions, did they assist one-on-one, did they do check-ins to see if any one needed help, what did they do to build and foster community. All these things to foster a productive learning environment.

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I really enjoyed both the video and article. What I was intrigued from the article is that it said a good teacher is ultimately about giving students the tools, the space, and the guidance they need to learn — even when they are no longer in your classroom. That was very relatable because I still apply the guidance several instructors gave me to be able to learn.
What was reinforced about the video is how to make the classroom come alive and engage students. As I think back at the classes I took in the nursing program, I can't ever forget one particular teacher. That teacher had a way of making the classroom exciting and fun. I also remember stories the teacher related to the topic of discussion.

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I watch the video and read the article. I know about storytelling to engage the audience and I experiment it in my classes. I know that effective teachers provide a more comfortable and safe environment in which the students don’t feel embarrassed to make mistakes and they are able to correct themselves when they learn. I know that innovative teaching methods can result in significant improvements. To be a better teacher, one must be real and open-minded and monitor her/his performance in the class and ask for a feedback from the students. I came from a different cultural and educational background and I believe my teaching methods can help my students to experience a great deal of learning.

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What was most surprising, intriguing, or challenging to you about the video? The speaker, Chris Edmin, talked about the "magic" in the classroom. The magic is the teacher, instructor, or professor. If we think back to when we took our last class, the instructor set the tone. We will listen if they come in excited, with energy, and can tell relevant stories that tie into the learning. The average adult's attention span is 8.25 seconds. That is why this video intrigued me. If we can keep the class fun and exciting (which is a challenge at times, we may really help our students learn.

The main thing I learned from this lesson was to be an interesting student. Keep the lessons upbeat and fun even when the material is dry. Do the work to make it more interesting and fun. I also learned that Good teaching is often seen as a natural talent when it’s a skill that can be learned and refined. We all need to prepare daily. Even when we know the material inside and out. Things change, and we need to know what's happening in the field to be a good steward to the profession.

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The surprising thing about both resources is that we can be educated in a certain field, go through the schooling, training and get the degree but yet still have trouble getting the information out to our students. Although we have the knowledge, it is almost like we have to observe our teaching setting ourselves and determine the best teaching methods. We have to be open minded while teaching and ready to use more than 1 teaching method as needed.

How I energize my class is by attempting to loosen the tension or nervousness. I make lessons and examples as relatable as possible. I let them know I was once in their shoes, a student learning, and I still am learning as I instruct them. I also celebrate the small things with them. I find this to be a moral booster. It helps keep them engaged because they see,by the small things, that they are understanding it.

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I found both very interesting.  The video with Christopher showed me something he wasn't even talking about. I noticed how animated he was, how he showed enthusiasm about the subject he spoke about. I think we need to be enthusiastic about what we teach, if we are bored with the subject, there is no way you are going to spark excitement form your students.
The article reinforced my belief that student evaluations are not reliable in the least. I think a good majority of students will give a good review simply because they like you. They won't criticize your teaching methods or your class because they don't want you to get in trouble. On the other hand a student might give a poor evaluation because your personalities clash. It's hard for students to be objective.

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(I misread the instructions and answered the wrong question in my other post . . . )

I liked the article The Damaging Myth of the Natural Teacher because it highlights that effective teaching is a skill that should be practiced and learned.  I think teaching can unintentionally be deprofessionalized when we think "You either have it, or you don't."

Some people may seem like they were born to be teachers, but the success of their labor is usually still the result of dedication, practice and hard work.

I admired that Professor Sathy was able to make constructive use of the negative feedback she received. I also sympathize with professors who receive course evaluations. Sometimes they can be useful, but I think there are also instances where students have unfair or unrealistic expectations of how a course should go, and I imagine that can be difficult to reconcile.

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I am observing an OSYNCH class and am curious to see how the teacher maintains engagement and what she does to make the class dynamic.

I think adjusting/balancing teacher talk vs student talk can be a good change for me to make. I think that when I am face-to-face, I do an OK job with this.  But, for some reason, when I'm teaching OSYNCH classes, I feel this tremendous pressure to "perform" in order to sustain engagement in the class.  I also "rehearse." Then I end up doing way too much of the talking, even though it's not my intention, and not even something I like doing!  The irony of it all :P

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I do think it is important that Instructors have access to share with one another. Since starting in the mentor program and teaching the FQAS classes, I am learning so much from you all!
A small change that I recently added to all my Bb shells is an Announcement with the direct link to the tutoring video and the tutoring website. I have had quite a few students comment that they didn't know we had tutoring...which means they watched the video or went to the web page. Win! This felt like a small update with a big impact.