i have a hard time dealing with discipline issues in adults because other people pay money to learn

In the past two years, I have noticed that the more comfortable the classroom is, the easier going the students are. When the students are not all stressed out and uncomfortable, I feel that they retain more of the instructional material that was taught to them.

Whats is a more effective way to communicate to the students any changes upon administration requirements. Im trying to be more understanding and make the students feel comfortable with concerns.

I find that group settings are always a good way to keep students and involved in the class topics and a great way to retain students to class. The competition of activities and games I have found to be very informational for students and an enjoyable experience for the students. Any other suggestions?

I have found that a blend of the learning styles seem to work the best teaching diesel technology classes. After explaining how a component operates, looking at pictures/video of the component, and after physically removing/reinstalling the part ties the lesson together for the students. I have had good results with this style. If I were to skip just one of the learning styles, the students would be completely lost and not fully understand the material.

I always have students who finish fast and first due to previous experience.. how do I keep them engaged with the lab after there done?

Being an instructor is a rewarding job. One of the biggest challenges I face is keeping the students motivated. I have learned in order to keep them motivated you must be persistent in keeping the classroom real. Bringing real life situations into the class keeps them motivated.

I have found that giving the students a list of true/false questions after a lecture and telling them they can use any resources in the room other than the answer sheet and the instructor (we can answer process questions but not answers to the questions) promotes a team environment. The instructor can check each student’s answers one time. At this point the instructor can indicate the number right with no indications of which ones are correct. Students who have a hard time participating are now drawn to the team as small groups turn into one large team of all class members. They soon realize that the whiteboard is a resource and control the flow of students having their answers checked comparing each student’ answers to the answers on the board. Make sure there are more questions than students. In addition to a great team building exercise this helps with evaluation of students.

I have found that blending different techniques to address various learning styles helps when dealing with large class sizes. It is always a challenge to deal with large class sizes because ability levels and learning styles can be vastly different. However, many times instructors are faced with the decision to teach specific topics addressing one or two learning styles because of time constraints and the shear number of students.

This was a really good learning experience. I ask a lot of questions now I see how to ask the questions better. Really good forum.

I have administered VAK tests in early courses for students to give them a better understanding of their personal learning style. One of the caveats to this, however, which I also try to demonstrate is that no one student, or person, should be strictly picking one type V, A, or K for every question/situation. Our minds process all forms of learning stimulation, and so I believe a varied approach to teaching is ever more important.

lots of helpful information that I will use in my classroom

Many of the adult students I have encountered have expressed that they feel most confident when they have received very specific instruction from their instructors. They do prefer to self-direct when it comes to refining their academic pursuits; yet, they appear to want to be direction to avoid any possibility of failure.

I had guest speakers last term and it was just perfect. I teach a Small Bs Mngmnt / Entrepreneurship. One students was into jewelry design; the other label recording. The speakers offered specifics and overall information for the students. The students had to 'meet & great' their perspective speakers and then follow-up with thank-you notes. This term we will visit the SBA. This is housed at Cols St University and will be a great learning experience as well. SBA provides packages for entrepreneurs, mentoring, seminars, and etc. I also feel visiting the university will have a positive impact on this particular group of students as well. I feel field trip and guest speakers both meet the learning objectives and provide new ideas for students to consider. Best wishes, Ms. King

The 'debriefing' information is perfect for our quarterly project. As an addition to the graded activity, I may provide bonus points for individual debriefing. On a personal survey, I can ask the student... What do they feel they did well with on the verbal portion of the presentation. What do they feel they can improve on the verbal portion of the presentation. The same questions will also relate to the written portion of their presentation. I am open to your suggestions on other questions I can implement.

I loved the music section. I have used easy listening jazz in my classes. I never reviewed any literature re: the variance and use of music. I like the enter/exit the room music and music during testing. I will try to incorporate this more. I also appreciated the color information. In the past attended a seminar re: the use of colored paper and feel this is very interesting. Especially for students who cannot focus as easily on white paper. Best wishes, Ms. King

Thought this was a great topic.

One of the ways I get involvement from my new students who do not know anyone is to administer the VAK (Visual, Auditory, and Kinestetic) test I had picked up from a seminar I attended. What this does is allows the students to honestly answer without pressure so that I can teach to them. When it comes to addressing the students later or providing extra help I want to teach them or break it down to their level of understanding. If they are visual I will draw things out, tactile I will have them watch and then demonstrate etc. so that they get a better grasp on the materials.

I know for myself that I am up to date with technology, but some of my coworkers will have alot to do to become prepared for a flipped classroom.

How do I keep timed discussions on track related to the topic I'm reviewing??