Every term I teach the concept of federalism in US government-the division of government into local, state, and national levels. Possibly because I have always been somewhat bored with the topic, the students seem to get bored with it as well. I just can't imagine or envision a way to make the topic exciting or the process or learning it interactive. Maybe I could assign positions to all of them, live governor, mayor, city councilman, and then have them sort themselves into different branches and levels of government, but that wouldn't make the topic more relevant to them. Not sure what to do.

Self-confidence in the classroom, or security, is a key to unlock students intrinsic motivation. The two go hand in hand and are driven by each other. When students find thier self worth they find their motivation.

Many times students feel like they dont fit in or belong in that particular environment or group. At times its difficult, but the great thing about being a educator is that we were all students , so we ca share our pass experiences as well as present ones, to help motivate them. AT we may have to play a freind role rather than authority.

What is the best way to keep extern students interested in attending their clinical sites?

Hello Everyone, Supporting students at all age levels and in all career goals in an important aspect within the instructional setting. It is important to validate students' progress and ensure that the feedback provided is detailed and specific to the task at hand. It is also important to use the student's name within the feedback to ensure personalization of the material.

I feel like I still have extreme passion for my work

Having taught at a few colleges, sort of all over the spectrum of academia, I am always thrilled to have non-traditional students in the classroom. These adult learners bring life experience to the class that many of the 18 year old, fresh out of high school, true college freshman simply don't have. Sure the young bucks have youth on their size, but what about the 50 year old factory worker that decided it ISN'T too late to go back to school? Or, the single mother of two that juggles two jobs and school because she knows it is in the best interest of her children? Or, the Iraq war vet that is putting his G.I. bill to good use? I am never shy to call on these students when we are discussing the real-world applications of what we've learned. I am especially interested, as is the entire class, when the questions involve critical thinking and problem solving -- two cornerstones of my course and teaching philosophy. Using these non-trad students as springboards for discussion sure gives them confidence. It also rubs off on the youngins, too. They realize, "Hey, if the old dude in the back can do this, I sure as hell can." It doesn't take more than a class period or two to get everyone on board and enthusiastic about class with this method. Soon enough all the students have a good rapport with me and each other.

I find that when students are getting ready to go out on their externship, they are fear they do not know enough to be successful or that they have forgotten the material. The way that I have dealt with that in the past is to assign case studies to the students during the last week and have them to come up with ideas to solve the problem. Student find out they have a lot more information stored in their memories than they thought. They also find out they are able to use resources to get information if they have forgotten. I tell them; yes you have forgotten some information so you will have to do some research to refresh your memory every now and then. This helps the student to ask questions if they need help and not feel ashamed of the fact they forgot some of the information, it also servers the purpose of empowerment because they usually know more than they forgot.

in the medical field things are constantly changing and its very important to stay up to date with the changes in the field

Retention is the key to the instructor's success. Keeping the students interest in the class keeps the students in the class. Thank you for your insight into the subject.

Enthusiasm is th ekey to student success.

The more the students are involved with their own learning, the more they are motivated.

It is really important to refocus the instructor when feeling withdrawn from a specific subject.

Creating a cul;ture that your students fell comfortable in is a sure way for retention.

Uderstanding a new adult learneres challenges help to acheive a stable class setting.

In order to motivate our students we must try different strategies to pull them in; and to make learning fun and memorable for our students. Motivation comes from within, but we must ignite the fuel to get them to have a passion for learning.

As instructors we must focus on our students needs and what we have to offer them to become successful students. It is imperative that we do this throughout our teaching to help motivate our students and allow them to feel successful.

We must provide our students with the necessary tools to be actively involved in the learning process; and provide them with tools to feel and become successful human beings.

It's good to recognize our student's needs and meet them where they are; with this in mind we will increase student moral and produce successful students.

TO ERROR IS HUMAN,THAT IS WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO SELF DOUBT.SO IF AT FIRST WE DONT SUCCEED,THEN TRY TRY AGAIN.A LIFE SPENT MAKING MISTAKES IS MORE HONORABLE THAN ONE SPENT DOING NOTHING.