I like to give my students a lot of smaller tests/quizzes throughout the class instead of 2 or 3 larger tests that cover everything. I think they grasp the material better because they aren't trying to retain so much information.

We have an accelerated hands on program. What are some tips besides having them gather information from class-mates that will allow us to help them make up work without slowing down the pace of the rest of the class?

Time Management is key to being successful in teaching classes in a Culinary School. Depending on the topic and the class you never know EXACTLY how long certain things will take. For example, if I am teaching Mayonnaise making and every student breaks the sauce, I will have to spend more time allowing them to remake it. My very next class may be able to make the sauce perfectly and I will have all of that extra time left. It is important to learn the pace of each class and prepare ahead of time to avoid having to much time left over or running out of time.

Structure is usually what helps systems of education be productive but their are some advantages of allowing structure to change and give moments of freedom. Students need to also know that instructors are human and are not perfect. They will connect with us better.

Once you start your lesson plans and teaching strategies for each subject matter. It is easier later because those blue prints are in place

Since I teach a CJ program, I have the students "interview" each other and present the basic information to the class. This gives them a chance to meet everyone, and is a great ice breaker.

We have actually included training videos donated by potential employers in order to reinforce safety procedures. Companies who are hiring your graduates often like to see their policies presented in the curriculum.

I created several types of methods to evaluate student progress, but none have worked effectively. What should I do?

having students know that materials must be turned in on time is very important. Often points being deducted for late work gives value to the student to be on time.

I like to use Powerpoint on a smartboard because it makes the class more interactive and lets you edit or write on the fly which also explans certain situations and examples to students.

Adult learners have an attention span, like everyone else and needs variation to stay engaged in the learning environment. To that end, I recommend The Rule of Twenty: "Ensure there is a change in classroom activity every twenty minutes." Whether it be lecture, lab, a video, whatever, the instructor should constantly plan to do something different every twenty minutes. To me, this reduces monotony and keeps things fresh and interesting. This also ensures an adequate amount of preparedness for the class because the instructor is only managing 20-minute blocks, which are a lot easier to predict than a 2-3 hour class session. -R

Back when I started instructing, I always have to have PPT to teach. Without them, well, I just couldn't teach. But somewhere along the way, I learned that when I teach information technology and lean heavily into the 135 slide PowerPoints, I created a dependence on them. And it was evident, particularly when the projector stopped working. So, I started getting away from them. I pared them down to the 5-bullet, 10 slides per 20 minutes rule as a start. Eventually, though, PowerPoints de-evolved to more trouble than they are worth for most teaching situations. The reason: I want students to pay attention to me and my antics while I teach, rather than look on the board at my goofy slides. I found it a lot better to connect with my students if I talk to them, not just broadcast to the air. The instructor or better yet, the student is the star of the show. Content should come from the instructor, the student, or both working together, rather than slides. If used, I would recommend them only minimally. PowerPoints need to be scripted to keep the instructor on track - sorta like an agenda of the lecture and lecture is one of those delivery methods that should only be used to convey concepts, terms, definitions, and whatnot. There is no earthly reason why PowerPoints should take the place of lecture by having them populated with all the material in the lecture. If that's the case, why come to class - why not just read a book? I am a big fan of Active Learning styles which really move away from lecture and go to methods where students create their own content. I know there are instructors out there that are worried about making them better. What I would suggest is, rather than focusing on making the PPT's better, improve your own skills and then, let the students revel in your awesomeness. And when PowerPoints become totally useless because your teaching is active, you'll save time not having to make a slide deck for every lecture. That's just my 2¢.

It's funny how the students react when I said: “Extra Credit”; they think that doing only the extra credit project,will help them to pass the class. I always remained them that extra credit doesn’t work like that. But always impress me how hard they work in the project.

Since we are dealing with such a versatile thing (food), we work off grading rubrics which will state exactly what we are expecting for each item. it's easier to grade, and then the students know exactly what to aim for!

Students are very motivated by "extra credit" allowing a small amount for creativity is a huge bonus for students. I like to apply it to the final exam score if they miss a few questions.

Has anyone else observed that the students don't take notes anymore? I am thinking about not giving the PowerPoint handouts to the students next term so that they will actually write something down. Has anyone else experienced this?

I will implement this great idea on the first day of class after winter break; it will allow me to collect insight about how my students perceive their progress in class as well as my teaching techniques and strategies. I don't have to wait until the end of the course to be evaluated and could make improvements immediately.

I find it hard to say no to students who turn in late work past the 3 day mark. any suggestions??

I try to look back on my training in my career. I think about my past instructors and pick the best methods that I found beneficial to me and utilize them in my teaching style. I also look at instructor styles that I did not like or found boring, and then try not to incoperate those styles into my teaching style.

I found this CEE to be most helpful. My confusion is that when we discuss soft skills here, we are told to list soft skills as "math" ect.. That seems "odd" to me. Woild you consider math a soft skill?