What I don't do:  Spoon feed the material. Reading for comprehension is fundamental to the learning process.

What I want to do: Make them think!! Take their majors and understand how the weather affects them.

What I do: I teach from my experience, using tools that I believe make me more effective ( pictures, movies, the web ).

    I offer resources in the classroom that make it possible for every student to be successful. There is the teacher, a book, a TA, the lectures and the web.
What you do with these things is your business. If you don't understand something, chances are that 97.2 percent of the students in your class don't understand either and would benefit from your COURAGE. Being fearful of asking questions in any class is a detriment to your learning.
    If  you find the material boring and unlearnable it will be boring and un-learnable.
    If you are open-minded to the material and put forth honest effort you will learn.

Memorization is not the answer. Ask the teacher for help!!! It saves you time and helps you learn.

Homework: Until you are forced to use what your taught you don't even know what you learned. This makes it clearer and helps apply what you have learned.

Classes I have taught:
FSU
MET1010  -  134
MET1010 Lab - 100 over 2 semesters

Classes I have TA'ed for:
FSU
Synoptic Meteorology I and II - 31 seniors
Current Weather Discussion - 15 or so

What I have learned from the students:

    Explain in words, show examples, and reinforce the material. Use video, pictures, animations to illustrate concepts. Link the concepts to everyday life. Link the concept to their major. Make the material be interesting when its not, and let the interesting material speak for itself.
    Do exercises that directly relate to the lecture. Give credit for attendance so that the teacher knows the student cares.

    Power point presentations should not have words. College students should be able to take notes. If the student READS* the book the student will know whats important and will be able to LISTEN instead of writing everything the prof says.

    I wear my chasing experiences on my sleeve. Its important to teach all aspects of the chase which adds a dimension to the class that can not usually be achieved.

1. Skimming the figures or pictures to get an IDEA of what you are about to learn.
2. Perusing the chapter for bold words (perhaps even writing the definitions out on flash cards). This familiarizes you with the lingo.
3. Reading the chapter material in short segments. Perhaps even highlighting important points. Maybe, just maybe trying to think of an example test question based on the material you read.
4. Repeat 3 as necessary (see points 4 and 8).
5. Repeat 4.
6. Asking questions in class. The most unused tool available to you.
7. Asking the TA or Professor why something is important.
8. Reread the material. An integral part because it clarifies concepts, vocabulary, and where applicable the mathematics.

An example chapter of 30 pages with 13 figures and 15 bold words. Steps 1 and 2 should take perhaps an hour.
Step 3, if performed over 3 days per Chapter (the amount of time it takes to cover the chapter in lecture) might take 45 minutes per evening.

This amounts to roughly 195 minutes (3 hours 15 minutes) per week of at home studying. If you did this for all 5 of the courses you are taking (assuming each was 3 credit hours), you would spend 16 hours per week studying. Being generous and stating that roughly 4 hours per evening (8pm-12am) is available to study with an additional 8 hours over the weekend (excluding Friday), thats 24 total available hours. Leaving plenty of wiggle room for other activities (9 hours).
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** ISU Excellence in Teaching Award (awarded Spring 2005)

The views expressed are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer or people I may be affiliated with...(unless of course they share my views).