I feel discussion is all together better than lecturing anyways. In fact why does the lecture system even exist? How many lectures do you remember compared to discussions you have had?

How do you simplify a complex topic like the complex art movements that I require my students to understand? At what point is there to much simplification that the concept no longer reflects the reality?

My Class has four students. A group project is not effective. How can I counter this?

It can be hard at time to get all students involved in active learning.

I believe classroom engagement is very important in your everyday class lecture. You have to be organized and prepared for every class lecture or you can lose your class fast .Your students will not be engaged and fall out of interest with the course and possibly drop from the course. Then you will have a retention problem on your hands which will be no good.That's why classroom engagement is a vital piece to the instructor if he or she wants to have a successful learning environment.

How transparent should an instructor be with their pedagogies? Should these be listed or posted for the students to view from the first day of class or should students see each instructor's pedagogy develop in front of them intuitively?

Gary, Since we are on 5 week terms and we have 4 hour classes, do you think it is wise to give homework on the first day of class? I like to give it but the students always reply with a remark that I am the only instructor giving homework on the first day. Usually, it is a simple assignment but I always feel like a bad guy...any advice?

On your introduction among other things you probably want students to get a sense of your qualifications for teaching the course, how formal/informal you want to be, and how available you will be to the students

Teaching in the dental technical field the best activity that I have used was to make a model of the human teeth and have students paint various restoration on the model's teeth. The painting assisted them in understanding what the various materials should look like in the mouth. The second step to this activity was to then swap models with a fellow classmate and chart the findings of that model. This taught the student how to read a dental chart for the patient that was present in their dental chair without even looking in their mouth. It reinforced the visual information and how to convert it to a chart.

I feel that student introduction helps us get to know our students not only informationally but also if they are outgoing or shy, whether they enjoy contributing towards class or are more reserved and prefer to remain quiet. This helps me as an instructor prepare on how to involve and include the entire class in discussions and activities from day one.

I'd like to address how important I feel the teaching environment is. I know myself if a room is cluttered or unkempt I do not concentrate as well. Other things that should be monitored are the lighting and the temperature of the room. These things are as important for staying focused as are a good nights rest. I like to reevaluate my room for clutter and cleanliness at least once per day. If I notice a student adjusting looking like they are getting tired the first thing I think of is whether the heat in the classroom is too high. If a student appears to be squinting to see a powerpoint perhaps the lighting needs adjustment. In order for our students to absorb information the topic presentation should be the only thing on their mind. Atmosphere control can assist with this concern.

What if your students are overwelmed with the topic and cant seem to comprehend the material.

What has been some good ideas for group projects for esthetics.

How do you help someone with working memory?

what is a good way to help students with Dysnomia.

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. How true this can be when applied to the classroom. It is not a perfect system. Educators are attempting to adjust to an ever-changing culture. Being able to quickly adapt while teaching has become essential. Having a solid plan, geared towards the success of your students and maintaining several back-up plans is part of our "bag of tricks". Essentially, we are building an airplane while we are flying it. Quite challenging! A good set of blueprints and proper tools make life so much easier as a teacher.

I'm primarily a studio art class teacher. While there is some lecture involved, I've almost always taught the classes where we have tools and get our hands messy! The pure lecture course is definitely pushing me a bit in that it's gotten me out of my usual tactile comfort zone. That being said, my art history class consists of web design, graphic design, and fashion design majors. And it's small-- 9 students. I'm thinking I'm join to break with art history convention and have the students practice their studio skills as they relate to art history. And I live near some fantastic museums and art galleries, so field trips are definitely in order. I'm going to ask the members of the studio/gallery I'm a member of if they'd mind my bringing my students in to see some practicing artists in their working environment. Anybody else out there breaking or considering breaking with what is considered the norm for their subject?

Reinforcement and praise increase achievement! However use them when deserved and you are sincere.

Lesson plans help keep you focused on how to prepare for each class session including the content and materials needed for the students.

My first day on this job went rather well. Having spent last year with between 25 and 30 junior high students per class, I'll confess to being a little stunned when all 8 (now 9) students were in front of me. I was a little nervous about my content for the day as I'm an emergency fill who wasn't handed day one material, but my students and I survived. A couple elf them have really warmed up, and they're showing initiative. That's great, as I just had my first supervisory review today! It went wonderfully. Can't say enough positive about having a great day one!