Community Teaching Plan: Teaching Experience Paper

The RN to BSN program at Grand Canyon University meets the requirements for clinical competencies as defined by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), using nontraditional experiences for practicing nurses. These experiences come in the form of direct and indirect care experiences in which licensed nursing students engage in learning within the context of their hospital organization, specific care discipline, and local communities.

Note: This is an individual assignment. In 1,500-2,000 words, describe the teaching experience and discuss your observations. The written portion of this assignment should include:

Summary of teaching plan
Epidemiological rationale for topic
Evaluation of teaching experience
Community response to teaching
Areas of strengths and areas of improvement
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ANSWER

Community Teaching Plan: Teaching Experience Paper

Amid the current Covid-19 pandemic, being overweight and obese can place an individual at the risk of suffering a fatality. In addition, obesity can be a risk factor for cardiovascular conditions and diabetes. As a result, people must take the initiative to manage their health and prevent the onset of the condition. This paper aims to discuss the community teaching experience about overweight and obesity based on observations.

Summary of teaching plan

The teaching plan focused on educating adults in a community center about the preventive measures for overweight and obesity. The teaching was conducted using a PowerPoint presentation to explain various concepts concerning the topic while applying illustrations to further understanding. The teacher began by asking students to define overweight and obesity. This approach allowed the teacher to assess the current level of understanding among the students. In addition, it also created a sense of interest in the topic among the students. As such, students will portray their willingness to learn by attempting to answer the question.

The next step in the plan was to provide a comprehensive answer to the question. The teacher defined overweight and obesity as a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation of fat, causing an increase in one’s Body Mass Index (BMI). The presenter helped the participants to assess their BMI by providing the formula for calculations. By multiplying the current weight by 703 and dividing the product by height in squared inches, the students identified their current BMI range. The teacher displayed different BMI ranges to allow students to make assessments. The categories displayed on the PowerPoint included underweight, normal weight, overweight, mildly obese, moderately obese, and extremely obese.

To further understanding, the teacher displayed five images showing how a person would look at different BMI’s. The logic of this method was that visuals may aid understanding for individuals with limited ability to grasp ideas. The teacher proceeded to list the factors that trigger overweight and obesity. The main causes of overweight and obesity as listed in the teaching are lack of physical activity, increased consumption of fatty and sugary foods, and leading a sedentary lifestyle. The teacher acknowledged other contributing factors such as genetics and stress.

The teaching plan also involved providing trends regarding overweight and obesity. In this case, the teacher disclosed statistics about the condition based on reports from 2016. The teacher displayed images of people engaging in activities that contribute to obesity. The pictures included a person who was seated, driving, and eating excess food. The teacher proceeded to identify the people at higher risks of becoming overweight and obese. The prevention measures for obesity were presented in a slide and included eating a balanced diet, and engaging in regular physical activity.

The epidemiological rationale for topic

The need to study and teach people about overweight and obesity is self-evident, as technological advance has made work easier, reducing the amount of physical activity among adults. The World Health Organization report from 2016 shows that 1.9 billion people suffer from either overweight or obesity. The prevalence of the condition is also evidenced by the fact that 39% of adults were identified as obese in 2016, according to the WHO statistics. Another factor considered in choosing this topic is that overweight is estimated to account for more deaths than underweight. Thus, it is better for people to be underweight than to have an excessive accumulation of fat, as it triggers other serious conditions such as diabetes. Based on statistics by the WHO, women are at a higher risk of becoming overweight than men.

Although obesity has been present over the years, lifestyle changes and increased availability of transport means have intensified the problem. Nowadays, people can commute from one place to another with minimum effort. The prevalence of obesity has therefore tripled from 1975 to 2016 (WHO, 2021). The rapid increase of the condition demands immediate action to protect communities. From the government’s perspective, treating overweight and obesity is costly and therefore measures should be focused on preventive strategies. In the United States, $147 billion were utilized in treating obesity in 2016 (WHO, 2021). A 2019 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 20% of adults in all states were obese. The current Covid-19 pandemic is another call for action, as being overweight increases the chances of fatalities among infected individuals. It is estimated that 30.2% of 900,000 adults hospitalized for Covid-19 in 2020 were overweight and obese. Thus, being overweight and obese increases the severity of serious diseases.

Evaluation of teaching experience

During the presentation, I was nervous due to the nature of the crowd, as it constituted adults above the ages of 18. However, the passion for teaching the topic helped in maintaining a positive attitude throughout the process. Overall, my evaluation of the teaching experience is that it was positive. The teaching session lasted for 50 minutes, slightly exceeding the initially planned duration.

At first, I found it challenging to calm the crowd and establish order to begin the lesson. Despite the initial experiences, the crowd finally settled and the teaching process began. My starting point involved establishing ground rules for asking and responding to questions, to prevent the use of offensive language throughout the session. I found the overhead screen provided by the community center helpful during the teaching process, as the students were able to view the displayed items from a distance. The ability to display images contributed to the overall success of the process, as most people may become bored by an oral presentation.

I applied my knowledge about public speaking to assess the crowd’s interest in the topic by focusing on specific reactions such as restlessness and eye contact. My goal was to ensure the teaching process was completed within the shortest time possible. As such, I tried to encourage the students to summarize their questions, thus creating time for others to make inquiries.

Community response to teaching

Overall, the educational forum was successful based on the student’s reactions. At the end of the session, some students took their time to express gratitude for the lessons. An important aspect to consider is that the teaching method included the students, as the teacher would first ask questions and provide comprehensive answers. This approach helped in creating awareness about the questions and preparing the students to memorize the information.

The questions were perceived as a pre-test to assess the initial knowledge level. Consequently, the teacher performed a post-test to evaluate students’ understanding of the presented content. During the session, the students showed their appreciation by nodding their heads at various instances. Another factor that revealed the forum’s success was the level of attentiveness. In this case, students maintained eye contact during the session, thus showing their interest to learn.

All the participants were 18 years and above, providing the teacher with an opportunity to use a deeper language to facilitate understanding. Also, the age range allowed the teacher to display images of obese people without the fear of wrong judgment. In some instances, the students were able to define some concepts before receiving the teacher’s feedback. For instance, one student was able to list a group of food that constitutes a balanced diet. The idea was to combine the main food groups including carbohydrates, proteins, and fruits. In this case, the participant named three foods including sweet potatoes, red meat, and apples. However, one of the students used offensive language while asking a question, and was therefore expelled from the forum. This action was taken to serve as a lesson for others to regulate their behaviors during the forum.

Areas of strengths and areas of improvement

Throughout the forum, there were many strengths that contributed to the overall success. First, the level of communication during the teaching session was exceptional. The teacher targeted to involve the students by asking intriguing questions and proving an appropriate response. By doing so, the teacher raised students’ interest in studying the topic because it allowed them to think about the possible responses. Another strength of the teaching plan was the establishment of ground rules to regulate behaviors and bring order to the forum. This factor also allowed the teacher to expel one participant for using offensive language.

The use of PowerPoint is another strength because it allowed the teacher to illustrate different concepts. Most importantly, the overhead screen provided by the community center was helpful in displaying larger images, allowing students to view from a distance. The topic choice was significant because it aims at improving community health. Nowadays, the increase in processed foods and drinks has placed many people in danger of contracting serious illnesses such as diabetes. Thus, the topic is deemed as a strength because its success would lead to improved living standards.

Although the plan proved to be successful, the lack of later feedback was one of the weaknesses. In this case, the teaching process can be improved by establishing an evaluation plan after a period of two weeks to assess whether students applied the taught strategies. For instance, students should be allowed to fill in a questionnaire to disclose the changes made in their lifestyles to prevent and manage overweight and obesity.

Conclusion

In summary, the teaching plan was successful in changing students’ attitudes towards physical health. Statistics have revealed an increase in the number of overweight and obese people. The paper also identifies the condition as intensifying the severity of other illnesses such as Covid-19 and cardiovascular diseases. The changing global environment requires people to pay attention to their physical health, as processed foods and drinks have become common. The paper describes the teaching experience as positive, based on the feedback given by the students. The students expressed their gratitude towards the end of the forum. A major strength of the forum is that it used PowerPoint presentations to illustrate different points. By displaying images of overweight and obese individuals, the teacher increased students’ attention, while providing them with visual aids to grasp information.

References

CDC, (2020). Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html#:~:text=Obesity%2Drelated%20medical %20care%20costs,were%20an%20estimated%20%24147%20billion.&text=Annual%20n 12 ationwide%20productivity%20costs%20of,132%20per%20individual%20with%20obesit y).

WHO, (2021). Obesity and Overweight. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/newsroom/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-andoverweight#:~:text=Facts%20about%20overweight%20and%20obesity,%25%20of%20w omen)%20were%20overweight.