17 Jun OKAY IF YOU PERSONALLY NEED ADVICE OR GUIDANCE WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?
Extract 2: Rachel
Interviewer: Okay were going to move on now to student diversity. What is your experience of teaching mature students?
Rachel: I taught a lot of mature students in my previous job but in this post at the moment Im teaching predominately undergraduates.
Interviewer: And have you noticed any differences between traditional and mature students?
Rachel: No nothing huge.
Interviewer: What about in terms of preferred teaching methods?
Rachel: With mature students you can probably be a bit more flexible with your teaching methods and you can also expect them to read. Theyll probably take it quite seriously so for instance when I was teaching some mature students in my last job if you asked them to read something they would come back having made notes. So I think they tend to take studying more seriously while traditional undergraduates are less likely to read. So you have to rely on different teaching methods so in that respect yes there is a difference. Mature students are also more likely to bring their work to you for guidance. This may be just a lack of confidence because they havent been in higher education before or for a long time or just because they feel more committed to the course theyre doing.
Interviewer: And do you get more satisfaction from teaching mature students as opposed to traditional students or vice versa?
Rachel: I like to teach them all: its different and theres great satisfaction if you have a good traditional student sitting there and theyve read something because theyre interested in it after youve given the lecture about it. If they hadnt thought about something before but now they are reading about it then the satisfaction is immense. On the other hand its quite demoralising when you feel that youve given your heart and soul to a lecture and then the students come along to a seminar and are just not interested its quite demoralising. Its also frustrating because you cant actually make people do work for seminars.
Interviewer: Okay have you got any experience of teaching overseas students?
Rachel: No not really no.
Interviewer: Were going to look at teaching now. Whats your experience of teaching using lectures?
Rachel: In the terms of the response you get or how you feel about it?
Interviewer: Both.
Rachel: I dont mind big lectures now; I used to be terrified and used to find it really hard to stand up in front of lots of people. But now I think I feel a bit more confident about that. I think its frustrating when you write a lecture and you know people are talking and I think it happens more these days; its hard to keep good order in your lecture theatres because there are lots of students. I think some of the two-hour lectures are too long but I still think its a really good way of imparting knowledge providing a structure to a subject area.
Interviewer: Do you like to give lectures?
Rachel: Yes I dont mind now. I cant believe Im saying that but I dont mind!
Interviewer: And how about seminars?
Rachel: I dont mind seminars either. I think the old-fashioned way of expecting students to work for seminars has gone and thats the hardest thing you cant go to a seminar and expect all the students to have prepared. So seminars can actually be really hard work perhaps harder than lectures.
Interviewer: And are you involved in any other sorts of teaching?
Rachel: I do try and do different things; I have a module where I do try and take the students out on field trips which I really enjoy and I think thats really really useful. And Id like to see more of that Id like to see more students getting out and about theyre studying the world they should get out and be more interactive with the community thats around us.
Interviewer: How about workshops?
Rachel: To be honest I cant see the difference between a workshop and a seminar. I do try to do things differently and use film and try to get them to act out things as well. We try to get the student to imagine they are in a particular situation and how that would feel so I dont know if some people would call that a workshop rather than a seminar.
Interviewer: Okay if you personally need advice or guidance where does that come from?
Rachel: I dont know. Probably colleagues it would probably be informal amongst my colleagues.
Interviewer: So what would you say your preferred method of teaching would be?
Rachel: I think a combination really. I think lectures are good but its quite good to break lectures up if you can into activities. But if you have a large number of students then youre limited. I just think that a combination of different things film lecture activities or sometimes you get students to think about things. Weve got a debate in one of our seminars so we get them to split up into two camps and ones got to argue for and one against. I think a whole host of things because if you use the same thing over and over again its boring for you and its boring for them so its as much of a varied approach as possible.
Interviewer: And how do you find fitting everything in with your time management and juggling everything?
Rachel: Stressful and hard at the moment but you do. I think some people probably do it by not being available to students and thats hard because then the students know that you are available and youre the sort of person that they want to go and talk to theyll come and see you and not see anyone else. So in a sense if students see you as being student-centred and student-friendly then all your appointments will be filled up and youll have a constantly full diary. But people who arent like that have a lot more time and I think that is really hard for you to gauge in higher education. A lot of the people who students dont go and see are perhaps the ones who are seen as the leaders within the subject areas; students go to see the workers the teachers and obviously they have more contact with students and so students go and see them so I think its quite difficult.
Interviewer: And what do you think about student motivation and participation?
Rachel: It varies; youve got some students who are fantastic and theyll attend everything and if theyre not going to attend theyll let you know. Then youve got some who you dont even know and you couldnt even put a name to a face if they turned up. I think higher education as a whole needs to think about what we want to do in terms of attendance of students because its something which is going to get worse. Youre now in a position where students could be sitting exams having attended no lectures or seminars and they might pass but they might not pass so I do think there needs to be a central approach to the whole faculty.
Interviewer: Do you think thats got anything to do with students working?
Rachel: Yeah I think its a lot to do with students working but I think its also because some dont take it that seriously and also because they see it as something theyre paying for so if they dont go its up to them. And I think that there is a real shift from the time when I was at university when you went to everything you attended. But if you hadnt read you didnt attend because you didnt dare go to a seminar you hadnt read and youd be picked on to say something so youd rather not go to the seminar. I think theres a real change that has occurred in the last ten years.
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteDemy. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.
About Writedemy
We are a professional paper writing website. If you have searched a question and bumped into our website just know you are in the right place to get help in your coursework. We offer HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE Papers.
How It Works
To make an Order you only need to click on “Order Now” and we will direct you to our Order Page. Fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Are there Discounts?
All new clients are eligible for 20% off in their first Order. Our payment method is safe and secure.