Are you a highly effective educator who is engaging and highly effective?
Anyone can learn. Every day, we teach each other. We give each other instructions for things like cooking and putting together furniture. Teaching someone is different from educating them. You should be aware of the differences between formal and informal learning. One example of informal learning is following a recipe to learn to cook. Formal learning, on the other hand, is done in a classroom. It usually includes evaluation and assessment. Although it may seem like teaching and educating are one thing, the differences lie in the context or place where the learning takes place.
The same distinction is made between teaching informally (giving instruction) and teaching students in formal classroom settings. Education can be a full-time profession or part-time. There are many reasons why someone might choose to teach. An adjunct professor, a traditional full-time professor, may be responsible for teaching, research, and publishing scholarly work. A community college, traditional college or online school can have an adjunct instructor. A facilitator, instructor or professor is a term that describes someone who teaches students in higher-education. This is crucial because there is no job title that includes the word educator.
These are the questions I’d like to answer: What does it mean to be an educator then? Is it something other than the job title? My experience in higher education has taught me that being an educator isn’t an automatic process. Teaching adult students does not make them an effective and engaging teacher. It is possible to learn to teach rather than to instruct, but it takes a commitment to the profession.
What does it mean to teach?
You can consider teaching as part the traditional primary education system. These classes are teacher-led, and students learn what to do. The teacher is the expert who directs the learning process. Teacher is someone who has high-level training and engages the minds of students. This teacher-led approach to instruction continues in higher education, particularly traditional college classrooms. Because of their experiences in primary education, students have grown accustomed to the teacher being at the forefront of the class and delivering information. Students learn from the instructor and are required to take required exams or do other learning activities.
Teachers in higher education are sometimes called instructors. They are subject matter experts with extensive content knowledge and are often hired as instructors. Most teachers must have a minimum of a certain number of hours in their subject area to be eligible for the job. Professors may be used to describe teachers in traditional college classes. These positions require a terminal degree and additional research requirements. Teaching can be used to refer to someone who guides the learning process by telling, directing, and instructing students. The professor or instructor is the one in control, and students are expected to follow his instructions. Let’s think about this: If teaching is at the core of what it is, how is that different from educating students? Are teachers the same role as educators?
What does it mean to be an educator?
As a way to understand the role of an educator, here are some definitions. The term “education” means to give instruction. “Educator” is the person who gives instruction. Teaching is closely linked to providing explanations. These definitions have been expanded to include an “educator”, who has both academic skills and is skilled in teaching.
Skilled in Instruction: An educator should have a solid understanding of the art and science of classroom instruction. They must also know which instructional strategies work best and what areas need to be improved. Experienced educators create methods that bring course material to life, adding context and encouraging students to learn through class discussions or other learning activities. As every interaction with students offers an opportunity to teach, instruction also includes all communication.
Highly Developed Academic Skills An educator must also possess strong academic skills, and writing skills are at the top. This requires a strong attention to detail from the educator. Teaching online classes requires that you have strong academic skills.
In the list of essential academic skills is the use of appropriate formatting guidelines according to the school’s style. Many schools use APA formatting guidelines to format papers and work with sources. If the writing style is not well-mastered, an educator can’t provide feedback or guide students effectively.
A Strong Knowledge Base: To be an educator, you need to have a solid knowledge base. This knowledge base should include subject matter expertise as it relates to the course(s) they are teaching. It also needs to contain knowledge about adult education principles. Many educators have completed the required hours, but may not have much experience in the subject they are teaching. These educators can still teach the course if they read the textbook and learn how to apply it to current practice.
Schools hire adjuncts who have extensive work experience, not adult learning principles. The majority of the instructors who have strong adult education knowledge have acquired it through professional development. This was my goal when I chose a major to earn my doctoral degree. I wanted to learn how adults learn so I could become an educator.