Teaching Logs
For my teaching logs, I tried to choose teaching situations that were all different from each other. I wanted to have varied experiences and teach learners who came from different backgrounds. First, here is a summary of the six teaching logs you can find in this teaching journal:
1. Teaching watercolor techniques to a beginner learner.
2. Presentations of a scientific project to university level learners.
3. Discussions on medical subjects with learners with basic knowledge in this field.
4. Oral presentations on complex and new theories for me to university level learners.
5. Use of technology (webinar, videos, website) to provide education to learners of different levels.
6. Teaching about a geriatric syndrom to residents of a nursing home and their family.
Throughout these activities, I applied knowledge that I developed during my master’s degree; Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning theory (Knowles, 2005), constructivism theory (Jones, 2002), oral / PowerPoint presentation techniques, Bloom’s taxonomy (Krathwohl, 2002) and many technological tools (WordPress, PowToon, PollEv, endnote, etc.). I had the chance to experiment different tools, identify their strengths / weaknesses and see which ones I will use in the future.
I realize that the structure of teaching varies from one situation to another and according to the learners. The teacher must demonstrate intelligence, originality and adaptability in order to organize different teaching sessions (Skiba, 2006; Ebeling, 2000). This is what writing my teaching logs allowed me to understand. In the last year, I prepared learning situations and for each of them, I reflected;
– What are the characteristics of these learners?
– How can I adjust my teaching according to them?
In addition, I tried to reproduce my “good moves” in other teaching situations that I encountered in my daily life and at work. In this way, I wish to become more comfortable with techniques I learned. I also drew on my reflections to make some modifications in my teaching style. In the past few months, I feel like I have built a toolbox, which helps me prepare for my teaching sessions. For now, I realize that these additions require more time. However, I see benefits not only for students but also for me. My teaching is more dynamic, students are more engaged and personally I learn a lot.
My teaching journal also allows me to reflect on important leadership skills (Bordages, 2000). In my opinion, oral communication skills (in French), interpersonal relationships and teamwork are my strengths. Written communication, decision making and financial management would be areas for improvement. This year, I think I exercised my leadership directly (by affecting thoughts/feelings/behaviors) and indirectly (by exerting an impact through your work) (Gardner, 1995). Examples:
– Directly: by significantly and positively affecting thoughts concerning health care for seniors
– Indirectly: by creating a website for the family of hospitalized elderly patients.
The learning I have done throughout my teaching logs will be very useful for the future. I like to vary my teaching style and try different techniques with learners. In addition, I became much more curious about this subject. I enjoy reading scientific articles on medical education, following knowledgeable people on Twitter and chatting with my classmates. I’m sure, I will continue to seek and explore new strategies to improve myself and become a better teacher. Teaching situations and learners are so varied, possibilities are endless!
Feedback (Evaluation Form)
We continually receive feedback and I appreciate having learners’ opinions regarding my teaching sessions and my teaching skills. Feedback provide many benefits; reinforce existing strengths, keep goal-directed behaviour, clarify behavioural effects, and increase recipients’ abilities to detect and remedy errors on their own (University of Waterloo, 2020).
However, I made two observations regarding the feedback form;
-Either learners are too nice and don’t want to disappoint the teacher.
-Either learners allow themselves to make certain comments (not always constructive) due to anonymity.
I am very open to feedback (positive or negative) and I believe I can receive them effectively. However, feedback given verbally is much more beneficial and constructive for me than evaluation forms. Unfortunately, several elements of effective feedback are often missing on an evaluation form. For example; be specific and constructive, own the feedback and concentrate on behavior (University of Waterloo, 2020).
To provide effective feedback, one-on-one meetings are preferred (Hardavella, 2017). Personally, I would like learners to give me this type of feedback more often. First, I believe that people must practice giving feedback (positive and negative). Me first! Second, this allows for discussion, positive reinforcement and collaborative search for improvement.
I will continue to collect evaluation forms from my learners. However, this activity helped me realize the importance of one-on-one feedback for my own evolution as a teacher. So now I should ask for this type of feedback more frequently!
In the files below, you will find the description of my six teaching sessions and following, learners’ feedback.
References
Bordage, Foley, & Goldyn. (2000). Skills and attributes of directors of educational programmes. Medical Education, 34(3), 206-210. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2923.2000.00425.x
Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2020). Receiving and Giving Effective Feedback | Centre for Teaching Excellence. [online] Available at: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/assessing-student-work/grading-and-feedback/receiving-and-giving-effective-feedback [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
Ebeling, D. (2000). Adapting Your Teaching to Any Learning Style. Phi Delta Kappan, 82(3), pp.247-248.
Gardner, J. (1995). The Cry for Leadership. In J. T. Wren (Ed.), The Leaders’ Companion: Insights on Leadership through the Ages (3-7). New York: Free Press.
Hardavella, G., Aamli-Gaagnat, A., Saad, N., Rousalova, I. and Sreter, K. (2017). How to give and receive feedback effectively. Breathe, 13(4), pp.327-333.
Jones, G. and Brader-Araje, L. (2002). The Impact of Constructivism on Education: Language, Discourse, and Meaning. American Communication Journal, [online] 5(3). Available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/50935717/jones.pdf [Accessed 7 Feb. 2020].
Knowles, M., Swanson, R., & Holton, E. (2005). The Adult Learner. the Definitive Classic in Adult Education and HumanResource Development. Gulf Publishing Company.
Krathwohl, D. (2002). A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(4), pp.212-218.
Skiba, D., Barton, A., (May 31, 2006). “Adapting Your Teaching to Accommodate the Net Generation of Learners”. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. 11 No. 2, Manuscript 4.
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