Expectations

I share my expectations with students on the first day of class and refer back to them throughout the course.

What I expect from students...

Responsibility and Accountability
  • Accept responsibility for your own actions and be accountable for the consequences of those actions.
  • Familiarize yourself with the policies in the Nursing Program Student Handbook as well as the College’s Student Handbook.
Communication
  • Check and respond to DTCC email frequently.
  • Ask for help when you need it.
  • Communicate with other students about course content and assignments.
  • Email or text if you’re going to be late or absent from class.
  • Express yourself respectfully, even if you disagree passionately.
Due diligence
  • Complete class pre-assignments, including listening to lectures, in order to participate fully in class activities.
  • Take reasonable steps to answer your questions, especially about administrative issues related to class or clinical.
  • Familiarize yourself with all documents on Blackboard.
Timeliness
  • To be early is to be on time.  To be on time is to be late.  To be late is not to be.

What students can expect from me...

Passion
  • I love to learn.
  • I prefer to think of myself as the lead  facilitator supporting your learning.
  • I love the flipped classroom model where students prepare ahead to participate in class activities.
Faith
  • I have faith in you. 
  • I believe you want to succeed and are capable of learning.
Respect
  • I remember what it was like to be a student.
  • I won’t ask you to do busy work.  Every assignment has a connection to an objective. 
  • I won’t ask you to memorize rote facts but understand concepts and rationales (critical thinking).
  • I will be flexible whenever I can and provide a rationale when I can’t. 
  • If you complete an assignment, I will give you feedback.
  • I will apply policies fairly and equally. 
  • If I expect something of you, you can expect it of me.
Cats
  • I will tell cat tales!

I wish my students knew...

Picture
My post on CCIT's Forward Thinking blog explains how I borrowed an elementary school teacher's writing prompt to get to know my students and seek their feedback.  The assignment is to finish the sentence "I wish my teachers knew..." and the responses have been very enlightening. 

Many students share about the anxiety related to family and work responsibilities:
  • I wish my teachers knew...how hard it is to balance nursing school with life & kids & work
  • I wish my teachers knew...I constantly worry about balance in my life.  Balancing time with studying, my children, my church, my family, my work and myself.  I have anxiety about not being enough for all of it.  I worry about being a 43 yr older college failure.
Some students share their fears of failure:
  • I wish my teachers knew...I don't think I can pass nursing school.
  • I wish my teachers knew...I've wanted to be a nurse since I was 6 years old…if I fail my life is over
  • I wish my teachers knew...Sometimes I feel like being a nurse isn't for  me because I struggle with the content
Some students encourage me to vary my teaching style:
  • I wish my teachers knew...that I hate doing activities in class like today because I don't think it helps me with the test.
  • I wish my teachers knew...not everyone learns by in class activities vs power points and questions. I wish we did more activities that related to the exam than case studies.
Some students build my self-esteem:
  • I wish my teachers knew...I appreciate that you are working hard to make this course a good learning experience for us and prepare us to pass the boards and be excellent nurses.  Thank you!
  • I wish my teachers knew...these activities are great learning tools and helpful in making information stick
  • I wish my teacher knew...you guys are great teachers! Seriously!!
And some students remind me my job is to facilitate their self-actualization:
  • I wish my teacher knew...I want to succeed
  • I wish my teacher knew...Nursing is a 2nd career for me and I want to be as competent in this field as I am in accounting.
  • I wish my teacher knew...I am always trying harder and will do what it takes
  • I wish my teacher knew...how hard I want to succeed.

Student Feedback

"She is a great teacher.  Very smart and passionate about Peds.  She makes you feel comfortable so you're not afraid to ask questions.  She is very organized which is helpfu.l"
"Ms Adams was awesome.  She knows her stuff and is excited to share her knowledge.  Enjoyed having her as an instructor & clinical instructor"
"Ms. Adams taught flipped classroom the way it should be taught!  All instructors should teach the way she does!"

Student Evaluation Statistics Fall 2014 - Fall 2015

Item
The instructor outlined the syllabus and course materials in a way that I could easily understand
In general, the instructor came to class prepared
The instructor related course material to real life situations
The instructor encouraged class participation
The instructor provided timely and useful feedback on tests, assignments, and overall progress
I would recommend this instructor to other students
The course content was up to date and useful
Course assignments and tests were related to course objectives
Evaluation methods used in this course were fair and appropriate
The supplemental course materials (ie readings, lecture notes, in-class exercises) contributed to learning the subject matter
Percent Agreement N=114
99.12%
96.81%
97.54%
97.19%
94.87%
96.67%
95.26%
95.44%
94.74%
92.11%