How can I be a good Kaplan TEACHER?

[JJNY]

I've been reading through the myriad TPR vs. Kaplan threads, and I've come to see that a lot of the value of the course depends on how good the instructor is. I noticed this myself when I took the TPR course. Our excellent bio instructor was a stark contrast to our crappy orgo guy; I ended up cutting the orgo lectures entirely and staying home to study more productively.

So.... I now find myself in a position to teach the Kaplan course next month.

As current/former MCAT students, what did you like/dislike about your course instructor?

All your feedback will be greatly appreciated and will be put to good use in making sure I don't..... suck.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MaluJGNY]

Don't just give the answers to sample questions and what not....explain the formulas out for physics and all....that's all i can think of for now! be at ease

 

[whitesoxfan]

Tell them what your experience with the MCAT was like. Since you are a teacher I will assume you did well on the MCAT (one of my teachers got a 36). Let them know what worked for you. Also, don't make them waste time memorizing formulas for the physical sciences (many useless hours spent looking at those formula notecards).

 

[OneStrongBro]

Smile, be honest i.e. admit if you don't know something, study hard(just remember student have paid 1000+ to sit in on your class), give eye contact to everyone, and give 5 minute breaks every hour. Also Empathisize, and offer suggestions(never advice)

One more thing, don't date a student. It will spread like wildfire. Trust me.

 

[Mudd]

With so few classroom hours dedicated to each topic, it is next to impossible to be a good teacher uner those conditions. With the amount of material that has to be reviewed that short amount of time, you should abandon the notion that you are teaching anything. Take a different perspective that your role is to offer an overview with insights. Be honest with students from day one that they are going to be doing the majority of the work on their own.

In the classroom setting, get through the teacher's manual at a nice pace, but make a concerted effort to put it down periodically, and offer an animated anecdote about your MCAT studying experience. "I remember how hard this topic seemed when I was studying, but..." will go a long way.

Good luck. It is hard to be a good teacher in the Kaplan setting, so try not to get frustrated. What you read here in most people's assessment that Kaplan has good materials but the lectures are a waste goes back to management: there is absolutely no way to thoroughly review all of the biology on the MCAT in just nine class hours. Same goes for phsyics and general chemistry. With the elimination of phenols, ethers, alkenes, and benzene, you might be able to do it in orgo. Just prioritize the subjects (based on what you know well) and let students know in advance that there is no way the time will allow you to address everything.

 

[limit]

let students know in advance that there is no way the time will allow you to address everything

That might not be something that a prep company would be willing to let an instructor admit.

Anecdotes for starting the class (i.e., "this was hard in my day") is all provided in the manual. I was able to sneak a peak at the manual when I took Kaplan during the summer, and it pretty much explains everything you need to say and how to say it.

Kaplan also provides lecture videos done by their best lecturers, so it might help to watch those and observe how they present the material.

 

[Joga]

Teach like the EXAMKRACKERS way, (i.e. tell them to get AudioOsmosis instea).....I can't believe I wasted my money on Kaplan...just my thoughts