Be engaged and they will be engaged.

By setting expectations for yourself daily will help reflect upon the students as they learn bell to bell.

Learning the gaps of younger and older generations. They were not taught equally due the rise of technology in the classroom. All this must be taken into consideration.

Learning the gaps of younger and older generations. They were not taught equally due the rise of technology in the classsroom. All this must be taken into consideration.

Motivation has to come from both the student and the instructor. We have to show them the passion that we have for a topic and the ways that it will be useful to them. They have to come with a desire to learn and expand their understanding. Without this interaction, the learning will be more difficult. 

Each student needs a different level and type of environment. Some perform better with more supervision. Others like to be left alone to succeed or fail, with feedback to follow after. Be flexible in dealing with each type of student.

I have found that if you simply try a rigid instruction method, students will tune out. However, if you can turn the instruction into smaller goals where they understand why they are important, they are more receptive. Also, add some humor and interactivity to the lesson. It can diffuse nervousness and increate their ownership of a lesson because they are actively performing it. Yes, I know this is difficult in some courses, but it can still be done.

People are able to tell when you're being fake. We all have good days, bad days, and just average days. We all can't be joyful every time and people understand that. However, you should do all you can to be cordial, listen to issues, and then provide any assistance that you're able to provide.

I understand the sentiment that they are customers, but treating them like people...like someone you want to see succeed is a better analogy. A customer, to many people, is someone who you have a brief (if friendly) interaction with and then they leave with you rarely thinking of them again. As I said, I get why they use the customer term, but I think it is more than that.

I have discovered that more often than not if a student is failing or not showing, it is most likely an external factor rather than the subject matter. Life events such as a death, loss of vehicle, or hours change for work can be more impactful on their attendance and performance than anything in the class. We need to know what options there are for students in these situations.