I really like to use humor as the big ice breaker during orientation and on the first day of class. Also since most of the faculty has been together for 5 years or more, we make it a part to share that as it shows a united front for the success of our students.

I like to tell my students that questions are always encouraged so that I know they either understand the material or need further explanation. Its also a good way to build a more positive relationship for the next few weeks that we are together.

I myself am a hand on learner but I also like to take in visuals in order to understand something new. I try to relay this to my students by creating powerpoints for most lectures that include sounds and videos. To re-enforce the learning for others, I take what they saw in the powerpoint lecture and put it to use during demo. It seems to help by allowing me to touch on key learning styles for the class.

I've usually used the tactic of listening to music and taking a short power walk in between classes or breaks. Helps to blow some steam off and clear my mind for a bit.

Being a career instructor has produced a great amount of stress because it always feel like there are things that need to be done. I try to not let it affect my job but it sometimes does. I've had to learn the value of time and not take it for granted because this is what seems to be the conductor of most of my stress.

A time saving habit that I've picked up has been to consolidate certain tasks for certain parts of the week. This has helped to create some balance in my work load so that I don't feel so overwhelmed at times.

Its taken me some time as an instructor to get of over the fear of not having enough time for lecture and demos. I've learned to manage my time better by lecture about certain things while the demo is happening so the students understand the subject matter. This has helped kill to birds with one stone when it comes to managing my time better.

I always try to point out the little things that students do well because most of the time they don't take them into consideration. An example could be kneading bread. If a student that has been having trouble with it finally gets it I let them know. Again something as small as that can really make the student feel better about themselves.

Every student one way or another gets frustrated about certain things in class. If a student has an issue I usually take the time during a break or after class to address the issue so that it doesn't get blown out of proportion. Also it shows that the instructor cares about student needs and are not trying to ignore them.

I usually present demos by having everything laid out so the student can see if they have the correct tools and ingredients for the task. When doing the demo I breakdown each step and ask questions before moving on to the next step to make sure they have retained the info. During demos I also talk about points made through lecture prior to the demo.