What do you want/expect from your MCAT instructor?

[KiwiFruit]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello! Best of luck to all MCATers on Saturday!! I hope you guys kick some MCAT butt! 😀 (Please remove if topic doesn't go here).

I was wondering if you guys had really great MCAT teachers and if so...what made them so great? What would you want them to do/be like? (Besides of course knowing their subject/material.)

What did you wish your teachers could've done or what qualities made them so great, or how they could've helped you more...etc?

I'm really nervous about starting and I'm just wondering how to improve...Thanks for any feedback/advice. 🙂 I don't want to put class to sleep 😴

 

[Fups]

Hey KiwiFruit,
well, i think it is nice that you asked, and I glad thet you are open to suggestions...

there are many things that we want from an MCAT instructor, (like how to get a 15 on EVERY section without doing the required work), but that is just an unacceptable expectation...
but here are some expectations that are fairly reasonable....

BUT, first-- WHAT SUBJECT WILL YOU BE TEACHING?!?!
answering that question for me, will enable me to give you more specific suggestions...

- stress what is IMPORTANT and MOST/highly likely to appear on the MCAT, rather than dictate from the book verbatim...
-make yourself available for extra help (before/ after class, during the week, via email...), whatever is best for you...
-hold office hours...especially during the few weeks before the test, b/c that is when the students finally start doing their homework, and start developing questions!
-encourage your students to contact you-- be their friend, rather than their "instructor"
- teach them shortcuts, nmemonics, easy way to remember things (i.e. Red Cat, An Ox... or for Young's modulous: Change in L= "FLEA" delta L= FL/EA...)
- suggest that they start using SDN for valuable information regarding everything MCAT related (i wish i knew about this site for my last mcat)...
- if you are done with your teaching material, and have taken the in-class exams already, and have completed you lesson plan for the day- LET THEM GO EARLY! (the fact of the matter is, people want to leave class as soon as possible... so, instead of killing time to hold students longer, leave it up to them if they want to stay longer and ask questions...)
- one last thing, but it is a biggy-- be ENTHUSIASTIC about the subject... it makes and HUGE difference... look like you are having fun up there, and that you really enjoy what you are teaching. i had a teacher who was fantastically enthusistic and it made class with her, more fun and enjoyable. but, i had another teacher who was just a downer-- hated his life, what he was doing-- and as a result, we hated him, and the way he taught...

ok. that is about all that i can think of off the top of my head, but if you tell me what subject you are teaching, i can better direct my suggestions.

i hope this was helpful!

 

[KiwiFruit]

Wow!!! Thanks Fups! That was totally awesome and exactly what I was looking for! Totally cool. I start training next month to be a BS and PS instructor so that means I'll be teaching Biology, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Chemistry (depending on the center's needs).

I really do agree with what you said and I will definitely take everything into consideration into making class more entertaining and what to do out of class for the students. Thanks again for being so helpful and taking time to type it all out! I will definitley make myself available for extra help too.

I will definitely let them know of SDN!! Definitely let me know if you think of anything else! 😀

Hey KiwiFruit,
well, i think it is nice that you asked, and I glad thet you are open to suggestions...

there are many things that we want from an MCAT instructor, (like how to get a 15 on EVERY section without doing the required work), but that is just an unacceptable expectation...
but here are some expectations that are fairly reasonable....

BUT, first-- WHAT SUBJECT WILL YOU BE TEACHING?!?!
answering that question for me, will enable me to give you more specific suggestions...

- stress what is IMPORTANT and MOST/highly likely to appear on the MCAT, rather than dictate from the book verbatim...
-make yourself available for extra help (before/ after class, during the week, via email...), whatever is best for you...
-hold office hours...especially during the few weeks before the test, b/c that is when the students finally start doing their homework, and start developing questions!
-encourage your students to contact you-- be their friend, rather than their "instructor"
- teach them shortcuts, nmemonics, easy way to remember things (i.e. Red Cat, An Ox... or for Young's modulous: Change in L= "FLEA" delta L= FL/EA...)
- suggest that they start using SDN for valuable information regarding everything MCAT related (i wish i knew about this site for my last mcat)...
- if you are done with your teaching material, and have taken the in-class exams already, and have completed you lesson plan for the day- LET THEM GO EARLY! (the fact of the matter is, people want to leave class as soon as possible... so, instead of killing time to hold students longer, leave it up to them if they want to stay longer and ask questions...)
- one last thing, but it is a biggy-- be ENTHUSIASTIC about the subject... it makes and HUGE difference... look like you are having fun up there, and that you really enjoy what you are teaching. i had a teacher who was fantastically enthusistic and it made class with her, more fun and enjoyable. but, i had another teacher who was just a downer-- hated his life, what he was doing-- and as a result, we hated him, and the way he taught...

ok. that is about all that i can think of off the top of my head, but if you tell me what subject you are teaching, i can better direct my suggestions.

i hope this was helpful!

 

[Fups]

you know what? if i were you, i would post this same thread, or soemthing like it, after the mcat. i think people are too preoccupied with studying and freakin' out to respond to your thread.

i think that some of the people on sdn would have really good input... so, post again, later. i think it is worth a shot.

i have to think about the Bio and Physical section a bit, so i can come up with things that my instrudtors did to REALLY help me... but, again, i will probably do that after the mcat!

good luck KIWIFRUIT!

i wish you could teach me how to do stupid physics and chemistry calculations faster, and with fewer errors. i make the STUPIDEST calculation errors! it's ridiculous!

 

[KiwiFruit]

Bumping.

So, from reading feeback, I'm gathering the PS section just really sucked. (duh). But I'm still wondering what you guys think would've helped you do better? So I guess...do you think the prep course helped? Why or why not??

Is there anything else that could've been said or done to make it better?

I remembered how badly I think the MCAT went last year but it turned out okay for me, even though I was freaking out like crazy until I got really really drunk...then I was really happy that the test was over...and it did end up good. =p No worries for now..and start AMCAS next month. 😀

 

[SailCrazy]

Don't be afraid to say that you're not sure about something. Maybe someone in the class knows the answer, or you can look it up and report back in the next class.

My instructor was good, but would say a few things that were wrong. As a result, everytime we got to something that I wasn't sure about I didn't know if I was wrong and needed to learn the new info or if my instructor was wrong and just trying to move on quickly...