tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1442561601441696697.post6786189389461970453..comments2023-10-30T03:27:23.202-07:00Comments on The Math Switch: Harnessing your personalityAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891267615270088161noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1442561601441696697.post-42563829339558337512014-06-28T07:38:22.040-07:002014-06-28T07:38:22.040-07:00I was reflecting on this very thing last night as ...I was reflecting on this very thing last night as I decompressed from the IBL workshop at Kenyon. It was great to have so many different styles and personalities illustrated by the different facilitators. In particular, I am low-key and not a cheerleader type, so I was encouraged that you have a similar personality, but still use IBL successfully.Darci Krachthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08591106686056038166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1442561601441696697.post-19343390589070432302013-08-10T20:07:24.589-07:002013-08-10T20:07:24.589-07:00Please do-- in spite of having small classes and m...Please do-- in spite of having small classes and mandatory attendance (!), I've had several students with the "startup problem" the past few semesters. They all were there, watching, but never (rarely) had anything to present or submit, and wouldn't come in for office hours either. I'm hoping to identify and intervene sooner, but I'd love to hear others' thoughts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1442561601441696697.post-57494743080379460802013-08-09T08:36:39.871-07:002013-08-09T08:36:39.871-07:00I'll also point out that when you boil it down...I'll also point out that when you boil it down to the essential elements, personality does not matter. To make an analogy, a medical doctor's personality does not affect his or her ability to use an MRI and draw conclusions from it. While I agree that teaching involves more "bedside manners," what makes or breaks one in the classroom are the skills and practice. <br /><br />I like this post in that it's about being true to oneself as a teacher. Be who you are and use good technique!Stan Yoshinobuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02467790965265134782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1442561601441696697.post-84121556653126594002013-08-09T07:22:52.850-07:002013-08-09T07:22:52.850-07:00TJ,
Thanks for your comment and question.
I have ...TJ,<br />Thanks for your comment and question.<br /><br />I have students who fail to engage, but not in every course, even when the classes run to 35. In my case, this person is usually someone who is working too many hours at an outside job and has poor attendance. These are the ones that pain me because I have often seen these students show signs of having a real grasp of what's going on, but because they miss entire segments of the course, their understanding is uneven and is not sufficient to pass a final exam, and their output in presentations and homework drags the grade down instead of boosting them.<br /><br />If students come to class regularly, I make sure that I get some engagement from them. That level of engagement is not always sufficient to get them through the course successfully though. I wish I had a succinct description of "the problem" that prevents them from being successful in the course, but it may be more subtle and individual than a simple characterization can capture. Stan Yoshinobu and I sometimes shorthanded the complex of issues related to low output to "the startup problem," but that doesn't really describe exactly what the issues are or how to resolve them.<br /><br />Maybe I will dedicate a future post to "the startup problem" and some of the ways I tackle those students who will not voluntarily engage.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07891267615270088161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1442561601441696697.post-47247818586390517972013-08-09T06:37:10.472-07:002013-08-09T06:37:10.472-07:00Given the intensity of an IBL environment, it is i...Given the intensity of an IBL environment, it is important to be yourself. Perhaps the most supportive and inspiring version of yourself you can naturally muster, but yourself.<br /><br />Students can sense a phony.<br /><br />I like this one: "...they must be the ones doing the swimming--you can't do it for them--but that you will not let them drown." But it leads me to a question.<br /><br />Do you ever have students who fail to engage, and therefore fail the course? It seems I frequently get one, as soon as the class gets over 20 students, there is one person who tries to hide no matter how much I try to encourage them.<br />Professor Hitchman's Alter Egohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07111353916174005765noreply@blogger.com