Students stay motivated when instructors validate their knowledge and allow them to express their understanding. The student feels secure in their environment to explore their understanding in the classroom.

I have learned that demonstrating my expertise if done properly will give my students a sense of a goal that they can learn this. 

although it can be easy to get bogged down in the material it is important to gauge breaks in the lectures off of the students and their ability to focus

utilizing multiple ways of connecting with and motivating students will be the best path for retention

the better I understand the students "why" for being there the better I will be able to effectively reach them as an instructor.

I've learned that listening to the student and showing compassion is a way to help prevent student retention. 

Getting to know a little about each student and adjusting the program material to work for the majority of the students.  Addressing extrinsic needs of students, the classroom, will take away one obstacle to help students learn more easily. 

From this module, I learned that students come to the classroom with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and personal circumstances that influence how they learn. Factors such as age diversity, cultural differences, disabilities, fear of failure, personal responsibilities, and support systems can all affect student engagement and success. Understanding these characteristics helps instructors recognize that learning challenges are not always related to ability, but often to external factors that students may be facing.

I intend to apply what I learned by being more attentive to the individual needs of my students and creating a supportive learning environment where they… >>>

positive feedback is great to empowers students 

students should be giving time to talk about past experience