Teaching Excellence and Caring
To be an educator for students aspiring to be future nursing professionals is an honorable privilege because of the opportunity educators have to shape and influence students’ knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes because it is these qualities that will allow students to then care for patients, families, and communities with intelligence and compassion. With careful planning and a central focus on caring for these students and supporting their journey of success, nurse educators will be able to empower students to take ownership of their learning and attain admirable achievements.
Qualities of an effective student-centered teacher and those that I envision myself possessing include those that guide and coach students rather than strictly instruct and state or present facts. Additionally, they are facilitators of learning rather than authoritative figures. Student-centered teachers value student collaboration and incorporate active learning strategies into their courses to foster growth and understanding. There is less reliance on the transfer of textbook information via lecture and PowerPoint presentations and more emphasis on group dialogue, discussion, and activities that promote the development of students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills.
The key to ensuring that this type of environment is effective to student learning is promoting a sense of caring for each individual student and his or her success. Nurse educators must speak and behave in ways that make students believe they are valued, that their perspectives and ideas matter, and that their questions and uncertainties are important and worthwhile aspects of class discussion. Educators need to instill values of strength and resilience in students especially when they experience periods of self-doubt and discouragement throughout courses of the nursing curriculum. Educators must remind students how smart and capable they are of success and accomplishment because when students believe these opinions of themselves and feel that their instructors truly care for them, then they are able to believe in themselves and become more motivated to reach the fullest of their potential and be both successful professionals and leaders in a career that is so very valuable and rewarding.
Below is an image depicting the characteristics of students that nursing educators must make their students believe they possess in order to not only allow for the learning of various nursing concepts but also to prepare them to be lifelong learners and active participants in the future of the nursing profession.
To be an educator for students aspiring to be future nursing professionals is an honorable privilege because of the opportunity educators have to shape and influence students’ knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes because it is these qualities that will allow students to then care for patients, families, and communities with intelligence and compassion. With careful planning and a central focus on caring for these students and supporting their journey of success, nurse educators will be able to empower students to take ownership of their learning and attain admirable achievements.
Qualities of an effective student-centered teacher and those that I envision myself possessing include those that guide and coach students rather than strictly instruct and state or present facts. Additionally, they are facilitators of learning rather than authoritative figures. Student-centered teachers value student collaboration and incorporate active learning strategies into their courses to foster growth and understanding. There is less reliance on the transfer of textbook information via lecture and PowerPoint presentations and more emphasis on group dialogue, discussion, and activities that promote the development of students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills.
The key to ensuring that this type of environment is effective to student learning is promoting a sense of caring for each individual student and his or her success. Nurse educators must speak and behave in ways that make students believe they are valued, that their perspectives and ideas matter, and that their questions and uncertainties are important and worthwhile aspects of class discussion. Educators need to instill values of strength and resilience in students especially when they experience periods of self-doubt and discouragement throughout courses of the nursing curriculum. Educators must remind students how smart and capable they are of success and accomplishment because when students believe these opinions of themselves and feel that their instructors truly care for them, then they are able to believe in themselves and become more motivated to reach the fullest of their potential and be both successful professionals and leaders in a career that is so very valuable and rewarding.
Below is an image depicting the characteristics of students that nursing educators must make their students believe they possess in order to not only allow for the learning of various nursing concepts but also to prepare them to be lifelong learners and active participants in the future of the nursing profession.