Health Educators
The learning experience in a health career is highly considered. It is the central part of health education; learners should be exposed to a better and conducive learning environment that will promote their character and academic skills. Exposure has an impact on the teaching and learning process. Investing in the learning experience in a health setting creates competent learners and well presentable people in the social environment (Hou, 2014). However, the learning experience is characterized by or influenced by social environment, educational and cultural background, and the students’ perspective, to develop an excellent working place it is essential to examine and understand the mentioned factors. Culture has a direct relation to a learning experience; culture can become competent care when it has adequate knowledge, attitudes, and skills to support and care for the students (Gorrindo,2014). Educational background influences how the learners learn and their interaction amongst themselves in a team of discussion. However, diversity is essential in health learning students; it creates opportunities for learners to understand the different background and how to deal with different people of different perspectives and emotions. Diversity in learning prepares a learner to the outside environment where they will interact with different people with their sacred beliefs and culture as well as the health profession with their religion (Delany, 2014). Developing effective communication and understanding at the student level acts as a stepping stone to withstand further outcomes in their careers. This paper will assess the role of health educators in the student learning experience in the case study (appendices 1) where learners were to identify a chronic condition resulting from lifestyle disease where in this case they identify obesity after a lengthy discussion and evidence. It will also look at the attributes of good teaching leadership, then finally discuss the teaching interaction in the case study, and how it positively and negatively contributed to the outcomes.
Health educators
Health educators are essential in a community and a healthy environment and to society. They are entitled to promote wellness and moral behavior that attracts and accommodate everyone within the learning environment (Delany, 2014). They have a role in developing and implementing strategies that will improve the health of individuals and communities. They act as a connection between peoples or communities, ensuring peace and unity in the institution or hospital. They have a role in the community they serve by providing all members gets satisfaction in everything they do. They advocate for unity and agreement in all matters; also, they come up with programs that educate people about health conditions and how to manage the existing problem. They provide educational materials to all learners to ensure the learning environment is favorable to all. Another critical role they perform is to supervise health education programs, advocate for improved health resources and policies that promote health. Health educators provide an essential part of the learning experience of health students; they are needed to manage the learners like in the case study done, learners’ arguments in the selection of lifestyle diseases were controlled by an educator (Delany,2014). Basing in the case where the learners from different backgrounds were to come up with a common illness of discussion in chronic conditions, it could have caused a lot of arguments and misunderstanding, the health educator coming in managed the groups where the learners ended up settling on one central obesity.
Roles of health educators in learning experience case study –lifestyle diseases
The health educator is an essential profession in the learners’ learning experience, basing on the case study where a health condition was identified, which gave an effect on the student learning experience. The learner’s behavior was respectful and a few who were disrespectful towards the other student participating in the study, it almost caused chaos in selecting the diseases (Gorrindo, 2014). In some groups, members of the group respected the informal rules controlling the group they decided to agree on a selected condition upon coming of the educator in the group. In this case, we see the educators have the mandate to ensure all learning processes all going on in a peaceful mood. Also, they have to provide adequate materials and ensure all learners have necessary documents, when the educators approached the group to find out how they are progressing, in case of any materials shortage the learners could be provided with. Another role is seen when the educator tried to solve the problem at hand, even though some minority felt not empowered them in the group in the decision-making process but he ensured the group is working on a concluded topic without any compromise (Delany, 2014). All these problems came as a result of culture and perceptions; it’s the responsibility of the health educator to ensure all learners are accommodated under one roof irrespective of individual learning.
Attributes of effective teaching leadership
Leadership in teaching is essential; it provides direction and breakthrough in the teaching process. All teachers of health learners should have leadership attributes that will promote performance and a conducive environment for learners. An effective leader in teaching should be driven by passion and dreams that will better the students. Making wise and aggressive decisions like in the case study shown the leader should have enough passion in the class and ensure the active participation of the students. Also, passion will create a free and open learning environment where the learners will be able to share their views with their teacher. An effective teaching leader should be able to hold values; he should treat all learners with equality and fairness (Hou, 2014). Respecting all learners’ opinions and decisions in the class of team discussion are essential. This means he should be in a position to handle diversity in learners, in case of chaos, he should listen and weigh both sides before making a final decision which will leave all participants satisfied and comfortable. Carrying a vision is an important attribute, view, and passion walk together; they should have a sense of care about issues in the student’s environment and how the future of the learners will be. As leaders who carry a vision should be accompanied by two elements creativity and intellectual drive.
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Creativity involves trying to think outside the box and coming up with excellent and practical strategies to favor all students. Intellectual drive and knowledge mean a leader has to act in a collaborative manner where he should be in the level of students, has to be a reader and a learner to understand learners’ condition. Confidence and humility is another aspect, being humble as a leader gives esteem to learners to open up and share their views in class. They should be able to see students’ needs first before themselves (Gorrindo, 2014). Another critical point is communicator; they should be able to communicate effectively with the learners, also encourage excellent communication among students. These will promote their learning experience. Interpersonally skills are also essential; they should act interpersonally to favor all learners in the class. Other attributes include useful planners and organizers to ensure the learning process is moving in the right direction.
Teaching interactions in the case study
Teaching interactions in the health class is a multi-step process that requires a systematic approach in handling students. It requires teaching social behavior and pro-social skills. For a functional interaction between the teacher and their students. Effective communication motivates learners, which makes it easier to teach the class. It inspires learners to come to class and learn new things. It is suitable for teachers to know their students, their character and beliefs, and how to handle each learner in different cases (Hou, 2014). It is an idea good teachers should be a motivator and understand all the learners he is dealing with. For a functional interaction between teachers and students, the teachers should have a clear understanding of course goals and learning objectives, plan task in three categories, difficulty task, Relevance task and curiosity, and novelty; this approaches will keep the class active and motivate learners to have a passion for studying in the session. Also, creating a welcoming learning environment creates comfort and satisfaction among students, the teachers should be able to accommodate the majority and minority in decision making (Gorrindo, 2014). Also set and communicate expectations to learners, according to studies done shows that teachers setting expectations always creates a positive impact on learners, especially in the health learning experience. Another factor is to motivate and encourage learners to interact positively with each other; this should be practiced in-class lessons and group discussions, holding open communication and interaction creates esteem and builds confidence in learners to share their opinions. Through this, it will boost the success of learners and the performance of the school as well (Delany, 2014). Basing on the case study done in the learning experience among students is divided into the group, the teaching interactions had a positive and negative outcome.
Positive outcomes
Through interaction of teachers and learners in the class basing in the case study done, it had positive impacts like, learners got appropriate skills and knowledge, from the topic learners settled on which was obesity as a lifestyle disease they managed to get a have an average understanding from the assessment done (Gorrindo,2014). Another decisive factor is it increased chances of success; it kills the anxiety and fear of lowest test score, when learners agreed on one topic with the help of the teacher all of them had to focus their mind on the particular problem to exhaust vital point to avoid failure. Teachers giving study guides to learners and providing help and materials where necessary, reduce panic and difficulty likely to be experienced during tests and interviews. Also, good interaction provides proper management, choice, and control of the students (Duffy, 2018). For instance, in the scenario of the case study, the group participants had to respect the simple rules set by the group to end the complaints by settling on one topic of obesity, although the minority were not privileged in making decisions, they had to accept the choice for the sake of getting correct knowledge.
Negative outcomes
Negative results are experienced in teaching when there is reduced interaction between teachers and students, in most case, the learners and teachers have parallel ideas and mind, poor communication experienced and disrespect frequently occurs (Duffy, 2018). In the case study done by the learning experience learners in health. Negative results happened in the process where chaos was happening over a decision to choose a topic. In this case, it’s a mandate of the teacher to encourage excellent communication and interaction of learners in the group. Arising of disrespect is another point, where a student use ignorance and arrogant language to press on his decisions, forcing other minor learners to conclude with his mind without intensive discussion and willingly acceptance of the topic. These are very discouraging, and as a teacher, they should ensure effective interactions among learners in the class. In cases where a teacher creates a conducive environment of communication will bring unity and agreement in class discussions, thus boosting individual students’ performance.
Justification and Theoretical perspective
The learning experience is a critical practice that every health learners should go through to fulfill the course and fully certified. However, the process has challenges since the learning process among learners is influenced by culture and diversity (Hou, 2014). In the scenario of the case study mentioned the student’s participants caused chaos due to a weak understanding of the topic; this is very disrespectful and very discouraging to students. Some of the minority participants in some groups were so uncomfortable with the decision made by settling on a topic without in-depth discussion which earned them lower-ranking, which to some they expected higher than that. Due to this, there is a significant need for the teachers to advocate for the proper interaction of learners in the class to avoid further discouraging experiences (Delany, 2014). Where there is a calm and satisfying learning environment with good communication and useful leadership attributes manifesting from the teacher, it motivates all learners to work and have a passion for learning the course. All teachers should understand the benefits of having good interaction among learners and teachers to student’s interaction; this will create openness and excellent communication in the environment.
According to studies made by various researchers, the learning experience is an essential aspect of the learning process of a health student (Hou, 2014). It gives them enough exposure to the outside world and creates functional interactions preparing them for the career ahead. (Sharma, 2014) Notes that all learning environments where culture and diversity are involved well a competent worker to the outside environment. Considering the learning experience is broad, and they are going to handle many people of different cultures and backgrounds, it’s useful to encourage the work and mingle with learners of a different culture. These will build their communication skills as well as their interpersonal skills.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Leadership in teaching health learners should be well cultivated to ensure learners are emulating the right thing from their teacher, which will help them fit in the outside world in searching for their career. Building a strong relationship among learners is a good foundation in preparation for their awaiting job and community. Positive outcomes will only be harvested where the teacher has put enough effort to build an interactive relationship. Also, for a teacher to bring positive results, they should clearly understand the roles of the health educators and know what exactly is expected out of them as they engage with health learners. Being a teacher to health students calls for well-groomed teachers and well equipped with leadership attributes. Having qualities of a leader and characteristic is the breakthrough and success in the teaching process. According to the studies made, learners find it useful, interacting with leaders who have qualities they can admire; this motivates them to work harder and be like their training teacher. Learning experience teachers should look at the minority and majority in making decisions, like in the case study made the opposition should be satisfied as well, making decisions to favor one side of the group might lead to difficulties and issues in the learning process. Some of the learners might get discouraged with the course due to un-satisfaction.