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Ask a question from your peers to help you in your professional work. Seek different points of view on a topic that interests you. Start a thought-provoking conversation about a hot, current topic. Encourage your peers to join you in the discussion, and feel free to facilitate the discussion. As a community of educators, all members of the Career Ed Lounge are empowered to act as a discussion facilitator to help us all learn from each other.

Mike Dillon
Mike Dillon

Learning styles

It still amazes me how instructors fail to vary their instructional styles for the benefit of students. I had a professor in grad school who was considered an expert who would drone on for hours about his subject. It was excrutiating.
Mike Dillon
Mike Dillon

Important

I don't think it is possible to underestimate how important it is to be prepared in advance. In addition anything you can do to emphasize the expectations and put students at ease is going to be helpful. Sometimes it can feel like overkill. However, you almost can't over communicate.
Kara Garner
Kara Garner

Enviornment

How the room is arranged is very important. I always make sure that the adult learner is not looking at someones back. I try to arrange the chairs so that the adult learner are looking at each other. I feel that this increases the class conversation and interaction.
Kara Garner
Kara Garner

Developing as an instructor

It is good as a new instructor to be prepared. Make sure you are organized for the class a head of time. I also think that it is extremely important to maintain a professional appearence. You will receive more crediablity with your personal apperance. Rember that there is never a second chance to give a first impression.
Clifton Dickerson
Clifton Dickerson CHEP

syllabus

have been using an electronic format with of my culiary school and It works great. You don't have to use any paper and it is available for the students all the time They shouldn't be using the excuse that they don't have the syllabus or what we are cooking
Clifton Dickerson
Clifton Dickerson CHEP

It's so important to learn

It's so important to learn something personal about each student. It makes them feel comfortable in class, and give you a connection. The students know you care when you take time to learn something about them; therefore, they will be more motivated to learn from you.
Azfar Ahmad
Azfar Ahmad

Diversatile? (A. Andaz Ahmad)

What happens when you combine learning styles and diversity? Well, a new word is coined, "diversatile". As an instructor, one has to meets the diverse needs of students from wide range of ages, backgrounds, experiences, ethnicity, etc. as well as their learning style needs. I also believe that once a learning style is determined for students, an instructor should encourage students to enhance their weaker learning preferences, and avoid solely feeding them information in their predominant learning style only. What are your thoughts about it? A. Andaz Ahmad
Kym Overland
Kym Overland

Teaching to Learning Styles

When I first began teaching as a teaching assistant in graduate school, learning to teach to different learning styles was the most valuable thing I learned and I use it for teaching, when I lead meetings, even when I pitch ideas in my other job. I have found that appealing to each learning style helps all students learn better.
Bobbi Bricker
Bobbi Bricker

Taking the time to learn about your students.

I believe that taking the time to learn about students will help you really understand their learning style. I prefer to integrate many different learning styles into my class periods. I understand that we need to work together to make the class as interesting and as productive environment as possible.
Bobbi Bricker
Bobbi Bricker

How to Make the First Day Enjoyable

I truly believe the first day is like testing the waters before a swim. It is the perfect time to welcome students who are new and also those who may be return students to your classroom. This is a great time to encourage students to engage in conversation with others and learn about everyone's background and experiences.
Bobbi Bricker
Bobbi Bricker

Creating an Inviting Environment

It is important to create an open and inviting environment for students. I believe the real trick is doing this without leaving any openings for students to take advantage of the situation. Most students look to an instructor they can trust and also relate to. If you make yourself approachable and also give the impression of being knowledgeable you will be successful with this.
Bobbi Bricker
Bobbi Bricker

Being a good model

I think that being a good model means taking the time to really understand who you are. It means trying to take a different point of view and try to see how the students see you. It is getting past reacting immediately and actually taking the time to evaluate the situation.
Jennifer Xanthos
Jennifer Xanthos

Rapport with students in online classroom

I think that the rapport an instructor has with students is so important for success. I am new to teaching online and have been concerned about establishing rapport with students over the computer. This seems much easier to achieve face-to-face because so much can be communicated in facial expression, etc. I am interested in what instructors have found to help in this area.
Laurie Barnes
Laurie Barnes

Never Stop Learning

Although some view college as a means to an end with learning, I believe it is important to continue learning and developing both personally and professionally throughout life. This maintains an open mind to new ideas and it helps me to grow and develop as an instructor. After all, if I am not willing to learn new ways of thinking and behaving, how can I teach others to do this? Laurie B.
Sheri Carlson
Sheri Carlson

Inidivual learning syles

Through my teaching experiences, I have found that the most effective way of reaching the largest # of students is to make sure you understand their learning style.
Matthew Telleen
Matthew Telleen

Socratic Method

I wrote before about trying to use the socratic method with paralegal students, and I'm curious what other people have found when using this method in nontraditional classes with adult learners?
Melanie Torborg
Melanie Torborg

Instructor textbook selection or not?

What is better--having the curriculum committee select textbooks for each course, or letting instructors select their own text?
Geoff Herbach
Geoff Herbach

HINT!

This seems small, but I base a lot of my in class activities on the use of technology. It is HUGELY important to understand the technical capabilities of a room in order to match the different teaching mediums to what's available. Great ideas in the course. I have been caught twice with technology that didn't match the room capability and that completely derailed a whole day of class each time. I will walk the room!
Geoff Herbach
Geoff Herbach

Broken Lectures

My tendency to let lecture bleed into discussions. It often happens after about fifteen minutes when I see students' eyes start to haze over. As I'm not too smart, it never occurred to me that it was natural attention span and not bad delivery on my part. Great strategy, the Mini-Lecture!!!
Geoff Herbach
Geoff Herbach

Introductions

I have always done an "Oprah" exercise with my classes. I have the students break into pairs and they interview each other on a series of set questions. After, they introduce one another. Immediately one connection is made. Because the questions are the same for each pair, a bunch of connections are always made across the class. One semester, I decided the exercise was too much and didn't do it. The class NEVER gelled. Unbelievable what attention to this topic can do for you.