So I’ve always been honest and transparent person and I expect my students to be the same. The course talks about making humor or light of mistakes. I definitely believe there’s a time and a place for that, but for the most part, I strive to be honest with my students when I have made a mistake because I want them to do the same for me to ensure were maximizing our time togeter. 

I especially took notice to the technique of moving your position int the room, judging from my personal experiences with military training and post secondary education. The podium instructor tends to bore the class making it hard to retain information. After reading this i realized that the instructors that moved around the room forced the attention to move with the instructor. So case in point as you are talking then a slide change happens it forces the class to readjust and change focus, inadvertently engaging the brain to pay attention. Its also a good tool to neutralized a disruption or… >>>

Basically my objective is to represent the positive outcomes of the course and how exactly what the student will be learning will track with their future. I agree with clearly laying out the course objectives and deadlines, maybe crossing completed items off as they are done. i did like the idea of breaking the room down into groups and applying exercises to engage those students that are more introverted or disinterested. 

If anything this course is giving me reassurance to is a responsible choice to ensure the learning environment is positive for the students who are you eager to learn.  For those who I have continued to try to work with over and over and over sending them to administration is a viable and reasonable option. It does not mean I have given up on the student rather referring them to someone in assisting with getting student back on track.

Having inattentive and students with short attention spans is a real thing. I know the course mentions how some of this might be because the student does not see relevancy in the information but I do think it’s a bigger issue. I try to do as much active learning in my class as possible because after 5-10 minutes I lose half the class.  I will try some of the techniques outline to see if it helps. 

One of the hardest challenges I’ve experienced so far is finding a way to make the class purposeful for all students and keeping them engaged. I found found that group “think tanks” are the most beneficial way to keep the student engaged even if it’s just for 15 minutes a class. It not only facilitates collaboration but it opens that students mind to relevancy of content even when they did not see how the information would help them achieve their personal goals. 

I have learned different ways to handle student behaviors. 

I have learned the acronym WIIFM. Staying consistent and following the syllabus is key to success.

I will make a point to speak to every student and have them engage with me. Take the time to fully listen to them before responding to their issues or situations. Include more class discussions to gage if every student is understanding course concepts.  

I learnt different ways to cope , reduce and eliminate stress .  Sad to know that 75 to 90 percent of students visit doctors and health clinics with stress related issues.