Reflection of Class Observation
For my class observation, I participated in a hybrid Professional Identity class with 13 students. During the observation, I mainly focused on three areas: interaction between the instructor and the students, structures and engagements, and my emotional experience in the class. This observation helped shift my perspective about adult learning from a student’s point of view to that of an instructor’s.
As I entered the classroom, I sensed a unique group dynamic immediately. It was calm and warm, and at the same time, it was quiet and reserved. The dynamic changed frequently throughout the class, not only because the characteristics of individuals but also because of the instructor’s awareness and demeanor in …show more content…
Students mainly learn individually in a hybrid course, and they may take longer to feel trust and safety in the group. Therefore, a discussion-centered class allows students to increase interaction and develop learning relationships with others (Carney & Hazler, 2013). Also, the instructor assigned a final group project, which would help students break the isolation of individual learning outside of the class. As a result, they can gain a shared learning experience.
The instructor assigned the students exercise experiential learning. The students write and advocacy letter to a counseling related organization, assess their values as a counselor, interview a professional counselor, and provide a conference-style presentation, which are all tasks directly related to a professional counselor’s role outside of the counseling room. The students increase their knowledge of various roles and further expand their knowledge and learning by experiencing their lessons in the real world.
Structure of the …show more content…
When discussion was vague and unrelated to the course, she re-directed the group and re-gained authority. Although her involvement was extremely important, it highlighted the power difference, and the dynamic shifted to an instructor-centered-protocol, which could hurt students’ development (Kegan, 1998, as cited in Eriksen). This shift appeared to cause the students to feel uncomfortable and to stay with safe topics, such as their success stories and expertise. I think the instructor noticed the negative dynamic shift because she then began sharing how she had made mistakes as a counselor. Many of the students re-engaged, with a few students sharing their own learned experiences through making mistakes. This was an effective use of self-disclosure as a counselor trainer in adult learning by the instructor modeling to enact equity, engage in risk taking, and be open to learn from multiple perspectives (Eriksen).
Another time when some students talked negatively about hybrid learning, the instructor did not become defensive or judgmental to the students’ struggles. Instead, she shared her own struggles and admitted that this was her first time teaching a hybrid course, and that she was still learning just like the students. The instructor’s transparency shortened her distance from the students by showing
For my class observation, I participated in a hybrid Professional Identity class with 13 students. During the observation, I mainly focused on three areas: interaction between the instructor and the students, structures and engagements, and my emotional experience in the class. This observation helped shift my perspective about adult learning from a student’s point of view to that of an instructor’s.
As I entered the classroom, I sensed a unique group dynamic immediately. It was calm and warm, and at the same time, it was quiet and reserved. The dynamic changed frequently throughout the class, not only because the characteristics of individuals but also because of the instructor’s awareness and demeanor in …show more content…
Students mainly learn individually in a hybrid course, and they may take longer to feel trust and safety in the group. Therefore, a discussion-centered class allows students to increase interaction and develop learning relationships with others (Carney & Hazler, 2013). Also, the instructor assigned a final group project, which would help students break the isolation of individual learning outside of the class. As a result, they can gain a shared learning experience.
The instructor assigned the students exercise experiential learning. The students write and advocacy letter to a counseling related organization, assess their values as a counselor, interview a professional counselor, and provide a conference-style presentation, which are all tasks directly related to a professional counselor’s role outside of the counseling room. The students increase their knowledge of various roles and further expand their knowledge and learning by experiencing their lessons in the real world.
Structure of the …show more content…
When discussion was vague and unrelated to the course, she re-directed the group and re-gained authority. Although her involvement was extremely important, it highlighted the power difference, and the dynamic shifted to an instructor-centered-protocol, which could hurt students’ development (Kegan, 1998, as cited in Eriksen). This shift appeared to cause the students to feel uncomfortable and to stay with safe topics, such as their success stories and expertise. I think the instructor noticed the negative dynamic shift because she then began sharing how she had made mistakes as a counselor. Many of the students re-engaged, with a few students sharing their own learned experiences through making mistakes. This was an effective use of self-disclosure as a counselor trainer in adult learning by the instructor modeling to enact equity, engage in risk taking, and be open to learn from multiple perspectives (Eriksen).
Another time when some students talked negatively about hybrid learning, the instructor did not become defensive or judgmental to the students’ struggles. Instead, she shared her own struggles and admitted that this was her first time teaching a hybrid course, and that she was still learning just like the students. The instructor’s transparency shortened her distance from the students by showing