By Dan Limmer
I’ve been teaching educator classes for many years. I’m also about a year into a full-time teaching gig here in Texas. One day I started to sit down and write thoughts and observations about EMS education. There were more than this, but I felt these were the 10 most relevant in the big picture approach.
I hope you enjoy them!
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Your best planning will only apply to 80% of your class time. 20% will always need to be improvised.
The 20% is where the magic happens.
If you aren’t teaching pathophysiology every day of your EMT class, you aren’t teaching it enough.
Sometimes when we complain about poorly prepared AEMT and paramedic candidates we must look in the mirror.
“Teaching” isn’t the same as “learning.”
You can teach someone but you can’t learn them. Embrace learning over teaching.
Don’t judge students.
You never know what a student is going through outside the classroom.
If a class gets out early every day, the educator is the problem.
Success takes time and effort on everyone’s part.
Students who need extra help the most show up for it the least.
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it study.
If you want your students to learn comprehensively, test them comprehensively.
If your exams aren’t challenging enough, students won’t study enough.
Passion for EMS, education, and your students isn’t required.
When passion is present everyone, including the educator, thrives.
You can’t make someone learn. You can inspire them to learn.
The educator must also be a leader.
Students will never stop surprising you.
Never stop surprising them.
PS- Did you audibly gasp at #8? Be sure to read Passion: is it Required to Teach EMS
