By Eric Weinstein, author of Labyrinth Learning’s Excel for Accounting and Payroll Accounting
Tag Archives: tips on teaching adults
Effectively Teaching an Excel for Accounting Course
By Eric Weinstein, author of Labyrinth Learning’s Excel for Accounting and Payroll Accounting
Continue reading Effectively Teaching an Excel for Accounting Course
Student Engagement in Online Classes
By Pat Hartley, author of Labyrinth Learning’s QuickBooks Online
How You Can Engage Introverts and Extroverts in the Classroom
One of the biggest issues in teaching is being able to engage a large number of students at the same time despite their differences. The teaching strategies that capture and retain the interest of extroverts won’t produce the same results in introverts — extroverts tend to be more eager to participate in the open.
Teaching extroverts and introverts at the same time is not an impossible task, though it does mean that teachers will have to be observant and take both groups into account when crafting their lesson plans.
Here are some suggestions for teaching extroverts and introverts in the same classroom:
- Facilitating both extroverts and introverts begins with telling which people are which. Extroverts tend to be more social, meaning that they will make more of an effort to talk with more people. In contrast, introverts tend to be more reserved — they need time to process their thoughts before participating. Bear in mind that both extroverts and introverts fall on the same spectrum, meaning that teachers must be flexible in handling their students.
- In class, let extroverts speak first so that the introverts will have time to mull over their thoughts. This ensures that both will be able to participate without being pulled out of their comfort zones.
- Set up a means for the class to communicate outside of meetings. Extroverts can continue to socialize, while introverts can communicate at their leisure.
Are you looking for more tips on teach introverts and extroverts? Contact us at Labyrinth Learning about more resources for engaging students.
Helpful Strategies for Teaching Auditory Learners
There are many different types of learners — kinesthetic, auditory and visual. An auditory learner is a person that learns best through active listening. They take on information through listening and active discussions. If you feel that you or your student may be an auditory learner, there are a few things you can do to help.
Here are some great strategies for teaching auditory learners:
- Questions are key — By asking questions, auditory learners can receive verbal clarification on learning material. Putting an idea into words can help the listener to retain the information. When asking questions, a student is becoming an active participant, helping those around them know that they are taking in the information.
- Repeat study material out loud — Whether reading out a whole text or paraphrasing as they read, auditory learners can take in the information they need by hearing themselves repeat it out loud. This works better than reading the text or information.
- Beware of distractions — When it comes to auditory learners, too much noise or things going on around them may become a major distraction. While some people do well listening to music while they study, others find it distracting. Awareness of the things that cause you or your student to become distracted can help increase focus.
If you are interested in learning more about teaching auditory learners, contact us today at Labyrinth Learning.
Engaging Students to Enhance Learning
Teaching is a complex process that entails much more than being an expert in a particular field. Teachers must engage students enough so the desired information can be transferred from the teacher to the student. This may require you to step back and evaluate your classrooms and teaching styles to determine whether or not you’re truly connecting with students.
To engage a tough student or silent classroom, utilize multiple learning styles. Most instructors teach the way they were taught, which often results in the traditional lecture hall format: teacher speaks and students listen. Unfortunately, this style only reaches the auditory learners in the room. Remember that there are seven learning styles:
- Visual (they need to see)
- Auditory (they need to hear)
- Kinesthetic (they need to move)
- Verbal (they need to speak)
- Logical (need linear approaches)
- Interpersonal (learns better in groups)
- Intrapersonal (learns better alone)
Make sure your teaching approach alternates between different modalities to give everyone a fair chance.
Liven up your lesson plan by utilizing technology. Your students have been raised in a technologically rich environment. It is what they know and it is also their source of connection and entertainment. Take advantage of technology in the classroom to engage students and increase the relevancy of your lessons.
Reinforce old lessons on a regular basis. Students need to practice over and over. Create a curriculum in which each lesson connects to and repeats the concepts from previous lessons. It’s even better if you can create continuity between disciplines.
Contact Labyrinth Learning to learn more about teaching materials and software designed to engage students using technology and relevant, real-world curricula.
Image Source: Shutter Stock
Foster a Positive Attitude in the Classroom
As with anything else in life, it is often the little things that count the most when dealing with another person. Nowhere is this fact more important than in the classroom, where an educator’s attitude can make or break a student’s morale.
Incorrect answers are inevitable in any class, but how an educator handles an incorrect answer can cripple a student’s morale. Instead of simply discounting a wrong answer and moving on to the next student, a superior educator encourages the original student to think through the process and come to the right answer on their own.
Encourage the student to actively learn by saying something like, “That’s good thinking. You are on the right track. Can you think of another answer?” This technique works in most scenarios. In short, it is one of the most proven ways to foster a positive attitude in the classroom. Not only will the original student benefit but the entire class will also respond positively to the process.
For more information on these and other excellent teaching tips, please contact us at Labyrinth Learning. You will find us online or you can reach us directly at 1-800-522-9746.
Tips to Improve Your Work in the Classroom This Year
Traditionally the New Year is a time for making resolutions to better ourselves, improve our lifestyles, and conquer bad habits. This year, why not make it your aim to improve your lectures in the classroom?
- Connect with other professors. Use the Internet to chat with other professionals in your field. Improve your knowledge of teaching methodologies you would like to try and learn new teaching skills you had never previously considered.
- Make it a goal to remain organized. Organization will help you teach and your students’ ability to learn. Plus, you will always be able to find the materials and resources you need, even on short notice. Extend your organization efforts to your computer by deleting unnecessary files and keeping desktops free of clutter.
- Teach like a pirate. If you are looking for inspiration, check out the book Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess. It is full of excellent ideas you can put into practice in the classroom that will change the way you teach.
- Above all, enjoy yourself. This means keeping some time for yourself; working all the time is a bore and your students will soon notice your lack of enthusiasm. Take some time for a hobby, either one that you already practice or something new.
For more support, teaching tips, and classroom resources, contact us at Labyrinth Learning.
Do Grades Still Hold Up in Higher Education?
Once upon a time, grading a student’s work seemed to achieve its intended goal. It began as an equilateral assessment tool to encourage students to learn and master given material. However, that module was also privy to subjection, systematic pressure and increasing awareness of learning differentials.
In other words, old school grades in higher education worked for some, but not enough for all. As blended learning continues to dominate the curricular landscape, the need for a fresher approach toward determining mastery of skills becomes imminent. So, how can this be done? A simple solution is changing who does the grading.
Peer grading has impressive potential for becoming an effective assessment tool for several reasons:
- It teaches students equivocal responsibility.
- It encourages honesty and integrity
- It sharpens critical thinking and judgment
- It facilitates constructive communication
Higher education is the learning realm where students began to apply what it means to be peers in an astutely professional sense. Peer grading is an excellent forum to establish a fair system for assessment and to put the aforementioned benefits into practice. There is also an inherent balance within knowing that the person you are grading will grade you, too. It is a subtle, yet proactive push toward peer consideration, development, and sensitivity. Of course, it is also a less biased way toward scoring assignments.
For more information about the current state of grades in higher education and blended learning systems, contact us at Labyrinth Learning.
Image Source: freedigitalphotos