In order to learn a subject the student must be open to participation in an answer and question discussion. At the same time these same students should have enough respect for each other to be able to accept anothers' point of view and learn from this. Do compare, question and answer to each other in forum type of learning in order to achieve the best possible results available.

When working with differnt age groups it is a good idea to be flexible and remember the style of teaching you had used from prior experiences working with these particular groups. Try to instill the importance of their being able to comprehend and discuss the subject as interpreted by their range of undersanding at their chronological age.

with my experince as an instructor in the past i have controlled my class and i learned that if you teach and guide your students you can teach them responsibility and enpower them by letting share what they have learned.

continue motivating students learning as thier instructor i think is very important.

Hi all, One thing I've run into several times as a faculty member at a for-profit college is that students will tell me, "But I didn't pay to get an F!" They honestly feel that, since they paid, they should pass. I often have to sit down and talk to them about why they are failing, what they can do to pass, and then suggest resources. (It tends to occur when a student chooses to ignore their work and outreach attempts, but then shows up on the last few days and thinks they can complete all their work *right then!*) Has anyone else found this entitlement in their students? How do you handle it? Thanks, Kate

I would like to share that focusing on the students needs more would be beneficial to the CEC company. I think that our students need to be treated as customers because without students in our programs or schools we have to revenue.

I have had the chance to work with 2 person teams they have been great. The students seem to work harder they have no time to slack off. Both students learn at a faster rate.

Can we change adult learner Prceptions or have they already been determined when they come to us as professor?

Retaining memory is key to succeeding. It's important to have them come up with ways they can remember the material that was given to them. Having them recall a past experience can help them better understand what is being taught to them.

It is very important to know your boundaries as a teacher but to remember that not having any good rapport with the students can be a bad thing. The students need to know that you ultimately do care for them and that you do what them to succeed in life. Eye contact is important. Showing them that you are listening with head gestures.

I feel that it is important to actually LOVE what you do. Students will be more attracted to the material and may learn more. Making it fun can vary from going outdoors and learning about the topic to doing classroom assignments pertaining to the topic.

Being a clinical instructor I get a variety of different age groups. Through this topic I learned to better understand that adults may have a harder time with grasping the info due to them not being in school for a while. I will need to be detailed in what I teach with each age group.

It can be difficult for me to not interrupt when listening to a student complain about the challenges they face. When I first started I would want to talk about a time I had blah blah blah. I quickly learned though that the reason the student was talking to me wasn't necessarily for advice. Most of the they time the wanted to vent their frustrations and feel a sense of someone's listening, as well as receive a little encouragement. I found the key is to remain neutral, and positive.

I have found that when I share personal stories, pertaining that the field in which I teach in, really motivates my students. Being a chef instructor, I truely enjoy telling my students of both the victories and failures that I have experienced; it's almost like sharing war stories. They become very motivated when they begin to place themselves in my shoes, then we all discuss on what I could have done differently. Thoughts??? -Gabriel

Teaching about cars typically will hold attention for a while, but as students start to drift away, I will increase the enthusiasm with a personal experience and that will help reel their attention back on topic.

If I have a class project I like putting students into small groups. I find they seem to find a comfort zone.They dont seem to have as much of a peer pressure inviromentand get more accomplished. Mike Murrill

As a math teacher, students often cringe when they come into class. They feel like they will not do well. The most important thing to do is to make them comfortable in the class with the human factor and make sure they know they can always ask for help. It is important for math retention to explain to students how they will use the math in their career field. I find the more you make the math relatable to their career the better they will have an understanding of the material.

I went from teaching middle school students to adult learner. It has been one of the hardest transitions I have made. I find that adult learners have more excuses of why they can't do something or why they can't be in class. When I started I used to allow them to make stuff up but I was quickly exhausted from chasing ADULTS down to complete assignments for my class. I now have a policy that while I know they have a lot going on, if they miss class, the only way to make assignments up is to bring in a valid excuse (dr note, etc..). I feel like I'm back doing middle school attendance. How else can I handle this situation so I don't have to chase after them to get the work made up?

I find that student 40 and older can be self motivated, but younger students expectations are that the instructor tells me, shows me, and then does it for me, and i get the grade. They think that there is a short cut in everything that needs to be done. Unlike a video game, where if the die they have a reset button,we have to express the importance of there actions injuring someone at the end of the job.

I will put students in groups of 4 and put one student as a team leader. Ever other lab I will rotate the team leader within the same group. Each week I will mix up the students into different groups and start all over. This will encourage the students to get to know one another and be able to adjust to different types of personalities. When doing this I have seen the students gain confidence they need to do when working in the automotive filed and in life.