Don’t become a babysitter. This “fun” function emerges when certain students see you as a person that they can burden with their own personal baggage. You are there as a professional educator and unless you are running a childcare program you are not to be a babysitter. Many new instructors slip into this role without even knowing it. Encouragement, support, and fairness are what you must provide, not enablement.  Make sure your students know you are there to support them but always maintain a professional relationship so they will see you as an educator not a person that will do… >>>

Are you the type of instructor that will hang out with your students?  I am not.  I feel as though that the student/teacher relationship should be only professional in nature.  An instructor can be having an innocent lunch with a student and this type of action can look very suspicious to others.  Most institutions have a no Fraternizing Policy; however some personnel will ignore it.  The bottom line is this type of behavior is unacceptable and very unprofessional.  There have been employees that totally disregarded this policy, and the repercussion led to termination. … >>>

For shy or withdrawn students having to make a presentation in class can very stressful and in some cases down right painful.   They would rather do anything but stand in front of their peers and present.  There are some ways you can help them to build confidence in their abilities as presenters while having them participate in the process of knowledge sharing.

Divide your class up into small presenter groups of 3-4 students.  Assign each group a topic and each student within each group a part of that topic.  Set a specific presentation time, say 3 or 5 minutes.  Already… >>>

Many instructors are uncertain just where to position themselves in the classroom.  The reasons for this concern can be many.  Some instructors are extremely nervous because they are just starting out as instructors so standing in front of a group of students is very difficult for them.  Others have the universal fear of being in front of people no matter how long they have taught.  So instructors want to roam around the classroom, stand in the back, sit behind a desk, hang onto a podium, or any combination of the above. 

The short answer to the question about instructor positioning… >>>

Are you the type of instructor that will bend a policy so that your retention percentage or the institution’s retention percentage is higher?  I am not.  I enforce all rules, policies, and procedures.  I am a firm believer of not sacrificing standards to save a student because of the idea of not hurting retention.  I understand retention is the utmost importance at career colleges, but policies are in place to be adhered to, not broken.  A lot of instructors may be afraid of job loss as to the reason they bend policy.  I understand… >>>

Are you a fan of extra credit?  I am not.  I believe in giving the student the grade he or she has earned based on the regular graded assignments.  Extra credit in my opinion can really add too much cushion to a grade that is not indicative of the student's ability.  A student needs to know from the very beginning that he or she must work extremely hard to get the grade he or she wants because NO EXTRA CREDIT will be granted.  Some instructors give way too much extra credit, which can cause a student to not work to… >>>

Do you frown upon cell phones in the classroom?  I do.  Cell phones are a disruption, even if they are on vibrate.  The student is distracted from the vibration, and others will be distracted if the student leaves the room even quietly to answer it, it is not a big disruption, but a disruption.  Students made it just fine in school before cell phones became so common, and they can make it just as well without having cell phones on in the classroom.  Some jobs have a no cell phone policy.  You either abide or else . . .

Most instructors as they start a new class have a case of nerves even if they have taught before.  A small case of nerves is ok because it shows that you are still concerned that everything will go well with your new students.   The key is to make sure that your nerves don't get take control of your presentation efforts.

There are some strategies you can use to help get your nerves under control and feel confident as you meet the class for the first time.

1. Be organized.  Get your handouts together and have them laying on the desk… >>>

Which do you consider yourself as being, a lenient instructor or a strict instructor?  I consider myself as being a strict instructor.  I am a stickler for institutional rules, policies, and procedures as well as my unique established classroom rules, policies, and procedures.  Rules, policies, and procedures have been created to be adhered to, not broken.  All instructors must enforce rules, policies, and procedures at their institution, otherwise it will make those who enforce rules, policies, and procedures look like the bad guy when other instructors are lenient.  I understand things happen in life, and if the situation is extenuating I will… >>>

Sometimes as instructors we must motivate students to have good attendance. There is a very high correlation between having good attendance and doing well. There are many tactics that can be utilized in order to encourage good attendance. Here are some super practices to put in place to encourage good attendance:
1) Lead by example
2) Get to class on time
3) Start class on time
4) Be prepared
5) Display knowledge
6) Give pop quizzes that are not allowed to be made up
7) Give an attendance grade at the end of the grading period worth a certain percentage… >>>

It is vitally important for the instructor's appearance to be very professional. Anyone should walk into the institution and be able to differentiate between the student and the instructor based on appearance alone. The instructor's dress should be professional and conservative. Many students look up to us, and they critique the way we are dressed. The instructor's appearance should be a level higher than that of the student. Remember, we are the role models, and there are some students that do not know the difference between professional dress and club dress, therefore we must teach them, and certainly lead by… >>>

Many career college students have selected area of study to prepare to enter a career that they don't totally understand or identify with. They are still in the process of learning about what their career area entails in relation to preparation, dedication and effort. To help them with this learning process you need to model what a professional in their career area is really like. So you are fulfilling two roles as an instructor. One, you are coordinating and directing their learning as a teacher of content and skills. Two, you are showing your students how a professional in the… >>>

Creating a connection with students is a goal that all instructors need to have. If instructors can connect with students in way that shows the students that the instructor cares about them as individuals then they become more engaged in the learning process. Some instructors are concerned that if they become too friendly in their approach they will cross the line between being an instructor and a pal of the student. While this is a very valid concern it shouldn't be on obstacle to developing rapport with students. Rapport is based upon mutual respect for each other. When students have… >>>

The often used saying "that you only get one chance to make a good first impression" is really true when it comes to starting a new class. As you prepare your syllabus and content for the first class stop for a moment and reflect on the impression you will be making as you start the class. You can ask yourself some questions as a check to see if you are making the positive first impression you want to make with your students.

These questions are: Am I dressed appropriately and professionally? Is my classroom/lab clean and organized? Do I have… >>>