Gordon Worobec is a retired automotive instructor from British Columbia, Canada. He left behind some good advice….
Keeping the Alligators at Bay – Some Survival Tips
No matter what they say, no one can teach you HOW to teach. They can instruct you on lesson planning, classroom management and course management, but every teacher is going to develop an individual style that works for them. That style will be a composite of life experiences, personality, emotions and that certain personal agenda that drew them to teaching as a career. That style will be continually changed and refined over time, but will always have some constants that form a foundation upon which to build a successful teaching career.
These are some personal observations that formed part of my “teaching style”. These may or may not work for others – but I think they are important enough to share.
The First 25 Years Are the Toughest
The first time you teach a course, it is new and fresh and exciting. If you did an adequate job of preparing at this point you will have a solid foundation on which to build your program. The second time, you will probably discover a number of things that should be changed or refined, or perhaps even eliminated. This is a time when you might feel that maybe you shortchanged that first class a little. Don’t dwell on that – if you did a job you were satisfied with, rest assured that the students have benefited from it more than you may realize. The third time, you’re on a roll – and a little occasional fine tuning is all that will be needed.
Redneck Rampage
Every once in a while, you’re going to run across that individual in the classroom that is going to want to challenge you. There will be a strong temptation to use a quick put-down to try and end that situation. The moment you do that, everyone loses. You will have definitely lost the student, but more importantly, you will have lost the respect of the other students who will now be apprehensive about being the next target. The solution? Take the individual aside at that very point (just outside the classroom door is good enough) and have a short heart to heart talk with them about the disruption. The main reason for that disruption was probably attention seeking on their part – and you have satisfied that need without losing face. That student will probably end up being one of your best advocates in future situations, and you will have gained the respect of the others.
I Don’t Get No Respect!
I’ve never heard of a teacher who didn’t want to be “liked” by their students. I have seen teachers who go out of their way to try and achieve that, and eventually discover that what they have done is create a short term solution and a long term problem. The key is to have students RESPECT you. If you do that, you will find that you have formed an important bond that will cause them to see you as an important and persistent factor in their life, and someone they will remember for a lifetime. There are many keys to gaining that respect – and I have touched on some of those in other sections.
First of all, be knowledgeable about your subject material. Always be properly prepared for every class. Sometimes, because of time pressures or personal needs, there will be that temptation to just “wing it”. Some people can be comfortable with that, and if they have had a lot of experience in that particular area, may even be relatively competent at it. On the other hand, it could blow up in your face and you’ll find that “crow” is a very difficult meal to digest.
Second – be fair to your students. There is always a temptation to treat some students differently from others, particularly if they are brighter or more involved in the classroom discussions. Draw those wallflowers out, and get them participating. Not only will that introverted student come to respect you, but the rest of the class will as well because they will see you as a person who cares about them as individuals.
Third – don’t bore the hell out of them. You will find that if you maintain as much eye contact with students as is physically possible, you will be able to immediately sense when you have lost them. At that point, nobody is learning and you’re no longer teaching. To them, you’re probably the Miss Peach voice from Charlie Brown’s classroom. Stop and reassess. Get a discussion going, or even take a short break to change the topic for a while.
Mistakes? We Don’t Make No Steenkin Mistakes!!
You’re going to screw up. Own it, live with it, and move on!
From time to time, everyone realizes that some of the material they have presented to students is not correct. The easy way out is to forget about it – but when you do that, you have cheated those students and, in the long run, yourself as well. Admit the error to the students, correct it – even discuss it with them if necessary – but NEVER leave them with false or erroneous information.
You’re going to be asked questions that you don’t have the answer for. Admit that you don’t know – don’t make a wild-assed-guess that may leave them with inadequate or incorrect information. Involve the students in discovering the answer – make it a shared adventure. Students will respect the fact that you are willing to admit that you don’t have all the answers – that you are as human as they are.
You Can’t Save All the Puppies
Inevitably, you’re going to come across students with personal problems, be it physical, mental or emotional. Empathize with them, be fair with them, and make some concessions if necessary, but NEVER become emotionally involved in trying to “save” them. It’s not what THEY need and most certainly is not what YOU need. If necessary, refer them to other sources such as counseling or agencies equipped to handle their problems.
Never give them your home number – you’ll be married to their problems for life if you do that. Make sure you have time set aside during the week where your office door will be open to anyone who needs assistance with the course or just needs to talk for a few minutes. Maintaining some professional detachment will be healthier for them, and for you.
You’ll be surprised at how students will respect that detachment, but at the same time realize that you have helped them in some way. If you’ve made a positive impact on their lives you’ll probably hear from them in the future when they’ve got their lives straightened out – and it will be a special moment for both of you.
Those Your Bags Over There?
After a little time and experience, you will begin to realize that you are required to be as much an actor as an educator. There are some days that you’re going to be dragging some physical or emotional baggage along on that drive to work. Leave it at the door. You are going to have to do a terrific acting job to keep from passing those negative feelings on to your students. You’re not going to share your problems with them, and if they sense that there is something wrong, you run the risk of having them think that the problem is them. This is by far one of the most difficult things that a teacher is required to do – and it takes a lot of personal skill to pull it off. Some teachers are unable to cope with these moments, and take personal time off to deal with it. If that is what is needed – then so be it, but keep in mind, with you gone (unless they have the option of canceling a class for that day) some one will be filling in that may not adequately cover the material, creating even more work for you when you return.
It’s an Incredible Journey – Hang on and Enjoy Every Minute!
There is no “perfect teacher”. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and hopefully we can utilize these to become an effective instructor. Teaching is NOT easy – and anyone who says it is can’t teach. The one thing that teaching WILL be – if you are knowledgeable, confident and competent – is a LOT of fun. You will be a large influence in the future lives of your students. Teaching has few intrinsic rewards – but from time to time you’ll come across a former student, or have a former student contact you, or drop in at the school – and they will tell you how you have been an important and meaningful part of their lives. This doesn’t happen often – but it’s like the tip of the iceberg. If you KNOW you’ve touched one person, there are many others who just haven’t mentioned it.
Many years from now, when you have made that decision to retire and move on to something new, you will look back on your teaching career and think – “Man! That was one HELL of a ride!”
Gordon Worobec
Educator/Instructor – Retired
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
So, What advice can you give a new automotive teacher? Lets start the conversation and help the incoming teachers to help shorten their learning curve. Post your advice in the comment box below