The Keys to Good Instruction

Good instructors have something that many other instructors don't have. They have a patience and ability to fill in the blanks of knowledge. They can see the learning process from the perspective of the student and understand how they are forming knowledge. When done right the environment becomes advantageous to learning and the speed of knowledge acquisition increases.

Patience is key to any solid instruction. People make mistakes, they trip over themselves and ask stupid questions. Students don't have the same knowledge set as the instructor and ask and do things that may not make immediate sense. Over time these questions and actions will come more into line.

Students can become easily frustrated and unable to deal well with an angry instructor that snaps. It is important to ensure that students feel comfortable and confident in order to ensure maximum learning. When they are relaxed they will make better decisions and think through the options putting less pressure on the instructor.

Understanding the perspective of the student helps in improving the building blocks to knowledge. Certain questions and actions can show us that the student doesn't understand a key part of the class. Make sure that you try and look at issues from the students perspective and fill in the learning gaps of the knowledge structure.

Being a strong instructors isn't hard but is based in part on our personal disposition. If we are patient and think about issues from the students perspective we can make a class fun, more productive, and build relationships with students. Great instructors learn this process through constantly thinking about how to improve their performance.