But Sometimes, Teacher Knows Best
Date: July 6, 2022
Our primary goal is to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to graduate, obtain their professional vocational nursing licenses, and enter the professional world as Licensed Vocational Nurses. Therefore, when new students apply to our vocational nursing school, they trust their instructors to supply them with expert knowledge and skills.
New Material
Often, instructors must teach them entirely new material in class and guide them in the appropriate learning techniques and methods. Usually, this is to help them memorize material faster and more efficiently.
These techniques may sometimes seem time-consuming and tedious. An example is the repetitive rewriting of notes or the re-drawing of precise diagrams and pictures. However painful as these may seem to students, they can be incredibly beneficial. These exercises have proven time and time again to be the most effective methods for triggering short-term memory conversion into long-term memory.
Yes, students speak out, and our teachers care about their opinions. In one recent case, students preferred not to do these exercises and attempted a different approach. We listened and gave them a chance to try a new method.
A Better Method
However, after a brief trial, students themselves saw that their perception of a “better method” for studying and memorizing was far less effective. They readily agreed to return to the method used originally by the instructor. However, the students were glad because they felt heard and knew their views were considered. At the same time, these students gained a higher appreciation for the old, proven method.
We all must try the new every so often to appreciate the old. And occasionally, an experienced teacher knows what works best in learning. But a wise teacher, like a discerning leader, has to balance the fine line between giving up control and being entirely in charge. And occasionally, a wise teacher knows best.
Want to Learn from Our Teachers?
This might be a good time to find out what our teachers know. “Overall employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 13 percent from 2021– 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations; this increase is expected to result in about 2 million new jobs over the decade.”1 Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is an allied healthcare school that trains young healthcare professionals.~
Citation:
1 “Healthcare Occupations: Occupational Outlook Handbook: US Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Www.bls.gov. (Accessed Oct. 26, 2022.)
