I often find myself being to soft on my soft skills which sometimes results in a disruptive class. How do I manage both?

I have made some of these same mistakes when I first started to teach. The one that stands out the most is letting my students know that I have not tought this class before. I like the example of letting the students know that I am an expert in the field with 12 years of experance.

When there is a hostile student acting up in class, when do you address the issue? At the time the student makes their comment? Or do you take them out in the hallway at break?

Having the center stage student be the quiet observer was a great suggestion. I have a student that fits this discription exactly. I will try this approach with her.

How do you address an absent student an assignment time line?

Is there a test that shows us what kind of learning style a students has?

This was a hard topic for me. Each student has their own way of being tested on what they have learned during a class.

I have a better understanding on how to test my students understanding of the class content.