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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.

Student Buddies/ Instructional style

Being Buddies with your students can raise favoritism opinions and make other students feel, left out. This makes it very important to treat them all equally, while at the same time making an effort to simulate a "real shop" feel to you lab especially. I feel that it is ok to show empathy for certain situations they may encounter, but do not extend a courtesy to one student that you would not extend for others, if they earned it. While in shop as many facets of shop experience should be woven into the shop lesson.

The Room

The class room appearance is an area that a lot of instructors miss. A room that has pictures and information concerning the subject is far more appealing to the student that 4 bare walls.

being Prepared

The way the students see you on the first day of class and how you present yourself is one of the best indicators of how the course will be and how the students will react to your teaching.

Planning

Plan and be prepared, be professional at all times and have fun teaching the course.

Our perception becomes their perception w/good impressions

The excitement we display about our coure is highly contagious. If we have fully prepared ourselves and have what's needed to get out of the gate running, we will ensure a successful 1st day. Our excitement for the course we teach will be felt and noticed within the first few minutes of us discussing it. The way we describe the course with enthusiasm and passion will greatly impress upon the class how much we like what we are teaching. If we perceive that our material or course is just another course and this is just another class, than all will be lost during the duration of the entire course for the entire class. Even if this is the 50th time we've taught the same course back to back to back, it is the 1st time our students have taken it. Our window of opportunity to impress upon them the perception we want them to have of our course, material, and information is only within the first few minutes; we must make the most of it.

Short timers disease.

Towards the end of a students journey, they can sometimes lose focus of the big picture. Distracted by the drone of day-in day-out work/school schedule, it can be difficult to motivate them. What are some motivational methods you have used to get them back on track?

Managing Class Consistently

One challenge that we face is a relatively short time frame of three weeks/ninety hours in which to deliver an abundance of information and at the same time assess special needs of individual students. I believe that a consistent method of presenting information and instruction from subject to subject allows the student to acclimate quicker to each new class enviroment and better esure their individual success. The more consistently the class is managed, the simpler it is to evaluate special needs as well as promote success for individual students and the instructor. At the same time this bolsters student retention.

Test Construction

In my previous instructional postions, I was able to make my own tests & quizes. As we encourage our students to persue the ASE Certification Tests I always constructed my tests in that format; i.e. multiple choice, some with "refer to illustration" and usually 25 to 50 questions in length. In my opinion, by mimicking the ASE format and length we better prepare them for the actual type of written test they might eventually benefit from taking.

Developing Soft Skills

As part of ANY course I instruct, I frequently refer to the interpersonal relationships that are so much a part of our everyday lives we tend to take them for granted. Every student has a friend/relative/associate/aquaintance that they "like"; that everyone seems to get along with; that they themselves would like to emulate. I suggest to them that THAT person has DEMONSTRATED soft skills. And that they should consider using that person as a role model.

full time barber to instructor

I have been a barber for 22 years. I am going to be an instructor at the college I attended. I am more worried about bringing bad habits to the table with all the the years of being in the business. This course has really helped me decide that my choice of becoming a instructor will be rewarding one. How do you suggest to monitor bad habits?

It is always important to use more than one delevery method to give course material. Keeping an open mind in the first day or two of meeting the new class will allow you time to survey what styles you will need to use to best suit everyone.

Technical Knowledge

It is important for all educators to keep themselves updated on the new developments in whatever field they are teaching. If not it tends to become stale.

First day prep

I've found that the first day of class sets the tone for the whole phase. Good class control on the first day is vital to establish a proper learning enviroment and to head off future problems. Before class starts I like to have the course materials laid out at every seat, chairs down, and the room organized. I know I have to have my best game face on for the first day, first impressions set the tone. If I have a student that is disruptive, which is very rare, I make a point of yanking his sorry butt out into the hall for alittle heart to heart chat about what I expect from him. This is always appreciated by the rest of the students. Doug Ramsey, Instructor,UTI Avondale

Classroom Assessment Techniques

I plan on using the provided link to find CATs that can be used to fill the last 20 minutes or so of class time. I also plan to share with my students the information learned in this session about the higher number of positions that are lost due to poor communication skills rather than poor skill level in their trade.

plan

plan ahead for the next course cycle during the current course if you are doing the same class.

Preparing to fill the role of partime Substitute

Hello, Years of experience supports my knowlege base of the various course subjects. I am looking for suggestions to survive the jump into random places through out the differnt course modules which are lecture and then lab. The teachers that I will cover for may only give limited info as to what has been covered. I want to avoid wasting time and maximize the one day hits that will be given me. Thank you, Glenda Bisbee

Day One... Expectations

Class begins with a greeting. I introduce myself and provide a brief biography. I then ask each of the student to introduce themselves. I like to know where they're from and what program they are taking. After the introductions are over everyone is a bit more at ease. I then begin to explain the expectations in the class. this falls into 2 catagories. The first being expected professional behavior. The second being what is expected of their technical skill to pass the class. Setting the expectations on day one establishes the appropriate tone for the remainder of the class.

Daily Planning

Planning and preperation are paramount to the success of any class. From the first day to the last taking time before each class to set up a tenative schedule for that day is a priceless key to success in the classroom. If you are prepared, you present an air of confidence to your students. This creates a trust and secure feeling in the information that you are presenting. When a learner trusts the presentation and the presenter they become more engaged. This engagement leads to a more complete understanding of the information being presented.

First time instructor

I will be taking over the class of an instructor that the students have grown very fond of and are sad to see her leave. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how help them transition from an instructor they really liked to a me, a first time instructor?

Learning styles

I know it is better for me to learn by doing, but I always need to keep in mind that it isn't always the best way for my students to learn. In the end, that is what they do, but initially some need more demonstration than others.