I have spent the past 16 months working on my Paramedic at the Hartford Hospital (HH) Department of EMS. (http://www.harthosp.org/ems) While I truly enjoy teaching, being a student for the past 16 months has taught me much more then how to be a paramedic.
I would like to start of by saying the Hartford Hospital runs a first class program, and I thank them for all their hard work. Should any of you be looking for EMS education options, I strongly suggest looking at their programs. When I applied for the program, I told them that I was a terrible student, and I’m sure I proved it. I feel much more comfortable in front of class then sitting in one.
Being a student is a challenge, and when you have been an instructor for a while, the education process changes. Often I found myself focusing on education styles and mannerisms then what was being taught. Then again, I am mildly ADD, so for me to go off on a tangent is normal.
Speaking of tangents, one of the most important things I realized was the importance of being organized. Most fire departments are used to running courses that are at most 3 months long. Running a medic course of 16 months is an organizational nightmare.
Organization covers everything from the material to be taught, who is teaching it, and what supplies will be needed. Fortunately, HH has more then enough supplies, but running practical sessions on a regular basis requires a lot of man-hours. (Remember, you should ideally have a 1:5 or less instructor to student ratio for practicals.)
Planning ahead provides for a better class, and assures you cover the material appropriately. It doesn’t matter if you write a formal lesson plan, but you need to at least have an outline to follow. Also, be sure to review the materials beforehand and be prepared to answer questions.
When it comes to answering questions, be sure to leave the BS at home. If a student is asking a question, they usually are interested in the answer. If you do not know the answer, write the question down, and get back to them later. The easiest way to loose respect of your students is to make up an answer. Students will often research their own questions, and while nobody is perfect, you do not want to be proved wrong.
Without students, teaching would be easy… Having ‘real’ students is a challenge in more ways then one. The first challenge is in understanding your students’ levels. You do not want to teach above or below their level, and different instructors work better with new students versus experienced students.
The second challenge is setting appropriate expectations. This runs the gambit from grade averages to knowledge levels. HH used a model where you had to maintain an 80 average throughout the course. This may seem like a high expectation, but there was a method to the madness. Historically, HH has seen a 10-point deficit from class average to national registry testing scores.
By setting the bar high, you can push your students, and make sure the weak are weeded out. Volunteers are used to trying to keep everyone, but there are some people that just aren’t cut out for the job. That being said, my general rule is that if someone is willing to work hard in class, so am I. The flip side of that is that if a student isn’t putting in 100% then I have no problem showing them the door.
The third challenge students present is their individual learning styles. As I said before, I told HH ahead of time that I am a ‘terrible student’. This is due to the fact that the instructors saw the top of my head more then my face. While we all look for feedback, when I’m the student, I spend my time doodling and reading. Each time a new instructor would come in, they would comment on my ‘learning method’ but fortunately, my grade average was such that they couldn’t complain. Each student has his or her own way of learning and we need to understand that and adjust appropriately.
Everyone evaluates their students’ abilities, but it is just as important to have them evaluate our teaching abilities. Solicit feedback from your students. This means throughout the course, not just at the end. It does not have to be a formal process, but it should give you enough information to learn what is working and what you need to reinforce.
A final tidbit that I picked up was a great method for reinforcing hands on training. I am a strong believer in having students review other students during practical sessions. One of the instructors at HH had the students each give one good and one bad point for each practical evolution. Receiving one point of constructive criticism and one point of praise from your fellow students can have a lasting effect. I have used this method in my teaching recently and seen a great response to it, try it in your next class and you will see.
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