Dr. Meers,
You are absolutely correct in how the group dynamics vary from class to class. My classes are less than 12 students and very hands-on, so 2 or 3 dysfunctional personalities can really influence the dynamic of the class if I don't set expectations right away. My students come to me in a group, so their relationships are already set up because they've often had at least 2 classes together as group.
It is important to understand and even sympathize with the stresses adult learners have - as a graduate student myself (in Acupuncture), I am much more flexible than I ever was as a middle school teacher. Setting a positive, caring and still authoritative tone yields the best results.
