I have been teaching in the nontraditional adult education environment for over a decade, and I think some things have changed: * The idea of "career change" is less attractive than it once was, particularly in the context of a 'package' of easily-learned classes which will enable the student to start on a high-paying career [IT was the model for this]. * "Adult" comfort with technology has increased greatly -- most people who come to university now have experience with computers and the InterNet. * The development of portable devices enabling instant and constant contact, supported by social networking software, greatly alters the expectations and to some extent, the needs, of people to whom this technology web has become a way of life, and higher educational systems have not [in my experience] done a good job of adapting to this. * The whole concept of "cheating" and what it means to "cheat" had radically changed in an age where what is 'original' may be impossible to determine, and where few people are individually responsible for a product or outcome. I also think some things have not changed: * Certification and the appearance of competence is more important than actually achieving such competence for most of our students. * Ultimately, if 'training' and 'education' are at loggerheads, the former wins. * However necessary critical thinking may be [and I am not arguing that it is not necessary] it is more of an innate ability than something which can be cultivated. * The greatest success comes from the individual who is at the greatest distance from the main current [especially as we define "a good student"]. The problem being that the greatest failure comes from exactly the same thing.

Hello, While I agree with most of the content presented, what I feel this unit failed to address are the "problem" students who can drain instructors or disrupt the class. In reality, an instructor is not going to be able to give the same level of attention to every student in a class of 30+ students. When you add disruptive students, an instrucotrs energy can be drained quickly and they cannot give the attention that is needed to others. My question to the group is: When you have a disruptive student, what are your techniques to making sure they fell welcome in the course along with everyone else?

By using a recognition game that I learned at a seminar years ago, I can memorize student names in the first ten minutes of the first day of class. They are always impressed at what really amounts to no more than a "card trick" and it instantly makes them accountable because I can call on each and every one by name. No one slips through the cracks.

I never would have thought it possible, but not only has my school graduated a blind student with a degree in culinary arts, but the student was well above average. We had to rewrite some curriculum and make a few adjustments, but overall the good far outweighed the difficult.

I often have opportunities to develop my own acronyms for my math classes. Although there are established ones in place, I develop humorous alternative acronyms that normally get a chuckle (or a groan) from the class. A recent acronym was "I View XL Centurions Drinking Milk". This acronym was used to remember the Roman Numerals from 1 through 1,000. At least 50% of the class applied the acronym on their quiz and homework. I then challenge students to develop their own acronyms and share them with the class. The creativity of the students can be quite surprising.

I think this trait is something all instructors should have. I work will several who seem to have none for their style of teaching. Every human being needs empathy - especially in a learning situation. They should not be set up to fail.

This is a very important aspect - especially around mid-term when the students and sometimes instructors start to feel comfortable in class and hit a lull - then it's time to amp it up and REFOCUS!!!

I can tell when I'm enthusiastic about a subject so are my students so I believe 100% that instuctors must be enthusiastic about every aspect of what they are teaching to keep the students enterested

I find that my older studens (30 and above) are more of a challenge. They haven't been in school in years and find it difficult to re-teach themselves to study and learn. They are also the students that question every thing I say - maybe because some of them are older than me. They are very eager to learn but more nervous when it comes to lab skills like drawing blood and giving injections. They do however get all their homework and assignments done when some of the younger students just blow it off - any suggestions?

MY THOUGHT IS TO BE GENEROUS WITH PRAISE AND VERY CAREFUL WITH CRITICISM.EVERYONE NEEDS AN "ATTA BOY" ALMOST DAILY.ONCE THAT COMPLIMENT IS GIVEN ASK THE STUDENT TO SET A NEW GOAL FOR THEMSELVES OR THROW DOWN A CHALLANGE. A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT IS RIGHT AFTER SAYING "JOB WELL DONE."

Hello Class, It is always a challenge for an instructor to make a balance between the Young student group who tend to have fast learning skills and the Adult student group most of whom are tend to slower than the young group. But this can be also a good learning experince for any instructor as well. Anwar (Houston, Texas)

It is always a chllenge to motivate students that do not want to be there.

Over time I have struggled with motivating timeliness in students submitting work. Many approaches involve some kind of reduction in the score earned: no credit at all, 25% off, 10% off per week late, etc. Students view these approaches as punitive, and I have had many students react negatively to such approaches. A few years ago, I started scoring multiple facets on assignments, such as giving scores for content and quality, format and mechanics, and timeliness. This way a student is always earning a score (a positive effect), not being punished for being late (a negative effect). Since instituting this approach, I have not received a single complaint about unfairness in scoring timeliness.

I go back to the Forum 3 posting about creating "ownership" in the learning process and then have the students "teach" other students about what they have learned. Or, if the project can contain some type of community service or external processing, etc then the student can go back and show that organization, etc what they have learned and what they recommend for changes, etc.

Staying focused sounds easy and for some it might be but for others it is very easy to fall into the same old routine as always. Some will be teaching the same class the same way for the past 20 years. That is wrong. We as instructors MUST be utilizing technology in our classes to bring out the best learning experience possible and we need to ask the students what they want to learn and how they think they can learn it the best. For example, I have asked my students what they want to learn for a Midterm project, etc and after we have agree on an idea or two, then I have them tell me how they want to conduct that learning experience. Sometimes it is a paper, a power point presentation, a community event, or a presentation where they are teaching other students and then assessing them, etc. *** This process creates "ownership" of the learning experience and very few will fail. Leadership 101 has said over and over again, if you want someone or some thing to change, let the employee (or in this case the student) tell you the best way to accomplish that change (or in this case, learning experience) and they will then have "ownership" in that process and will excel! If we run things like a dictatorship and tell them how to achieve something then we will always have rebels in the group who just won't do it.

Student retention is easy - you just have to work at it! It is a must to give each individual student time and attention by responding to their questions and needs. It is crucial to monitor each student's progress (or lack of) and then to properly reach out to those students who might be struggling. This can be accomplished by a phone call, email, chat session, person meeting, etc. However, we must also realize that this is college and that we can't force someone to do well or to try. But ,,, we must encourage them! We can "hold their hand" so to speak but we can't write for them, read for them or speak for them. But ,,, we must encourage them!

It is very important to take the necessary time to understand your students, where they come from, who they are, what they want out of the class and how they learn best. Then, design the delivery method of the content so it custom fits that specific target audience. For example, some students will learn best from reading and taking a quiz, while others want you to explain and show them, and others need to just do it for themselves.

It seems that any student that has issues in class, lacks the confidence to try for fear of failure. In those situations, I will stand with them, urge them to push the button - and fail or succeed, once they realise that the world did not end, they learn something. I am not one for just giving an answer. I try to present the thought process, allowing students to problem solve each small question. Then, as the light comes on, I stand back, let go of the bicycle and they find they are riding by themselves. I then point out how little I presented in the way of answers - that they figured it out themselves - that is when they get excited - they feel a success.

I always let my students know that the best way for them to assist me in learning their names is to play a bit of "Where's Waldo" in our 3rd class session. All I ask is that each student sit in the same spot for 2 class sessions and on the 3rd day switch seats with each other leaving me to sort them all out. I'm usually at least 98% correct, but the students get a kick out of trying to "stump the instructor". I've also found that when I take time to learn a student's name, they will learn mine...a connection has been made and we build from there.

ONE THING I ENJOY WHEN I GET A NEW CLASS IS GOING AROUND THE ROOM ASKING EACH STUDENT TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND TELL A LITTLE ABOUT THEMSELVES.AGE,WHERE THEY ARE FROM,MARRIED,ANY KIDS,WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO CHOOSE OUR SCHOOL ECT.IT IS A GREAT ICE BREAKER FOR MY FIRST DAY WITH THEM.