Instructors need to remember that everyone has a personal life that can and will take priority over what class they are taking. As professionals, we can often learn to put aside our problems and fall into the subject we are delivering. Students are not trianed or do not have the experience to do this and they allow their personal lives to run over their school lives. We must accept this as normal, work with them to some degree to try to help them, and, most importantly, accept the fact that sometimes we just cannot make the world better for all and make due with what we have to work with for the day.

I've been giving awards to students now for about 5 years. An example, Award for Best Game Design Document. I give the requirements for the document and let the students know they must meet the requirements, yet for the students that want to go above and beyond, and award certificate is in their reach. The documents I receive from the students are 90% excellent. I find passive competition works well and it puts no pressure on the students that are not great writers. A list of the Award winners can be seen at davidpinter.com

I'd like to mention all the students I chat with that are new to college. Their main concerns are transitioning to a new environment. Many times housing is one of the biggest problems, and this really effects their school work. I had a student the other day say that she and her roommate had to leave class because they had no place to live and was in the process of trying to get another apartment that was safe (the other one was broken into). This is why you really have to listen to your students, especially the ones that are first time away from home. Bad grades or missing class is not always about the student not caring about your class.

Students even adult students are often excited when you provide small rewards for expected content. For example, although, the students are required to complete all the projects in the lab to pass the course the days that you offer a piece of candy or bag of chips for every project finished are often the most focused and productive. Although not long term motivational tools the students seem to enjoy the treat and don't even realize that they worked 20% harder that day. Even though the money for the treats comes out of my pocket I think it's well worth it. Definetley breaks up the "hum and drum" for many of the students.

As a new instructor I've had the priveledge of sitting in on some classes. One commonality I've noticed is that if students feel comfortable in the program, they make comments. Sometimes it's just for fun, sometimes its just to complain and other times it seems like it just popped into their head and they spit it out. I imagine many of these comments have validity or offer doorways to student perspectives. Addressing some of these comments in private or in front of the class seems a way to build rapport and show that you are listening and engaged with students.

In my classes I come to contact with a diverse student backgrounds and age. Sometimes the gap in ages seems to be a stumbling block to unity in class discussions. How can the content of discussion be narrowed to include different age groups?

One of the best ways to improve as an Instructor is student feedback evaluation. As a new instructor what are some ways to obtain student feedback throughout the course other than direct questioning?

In sales we are taught that in addition to the purchase, it is impportant that there is "value added" to complete the sale. Teaching is like that. The students need more then just a grade, more then just the specific required information, they need to take home with them an additional amount of information consider under the category of value added. This could be career information, job hunting tips, interview skills, management or leadership information and or tips about activities in the region that might be of interest

Real life experiances and stories to back them up is a great aid to students and letting them know we are not perfect.

After we give test we give out advisment forms when students perfom below passing, and this gives them a point to say to themselves that they need to step up and do better

I try to make the class fun by telling stories about life experiances I have had in the feild

After the first week of my class, I start off the next class by asking now how do you look at food and this career now. Then the stories & discussions begin. They are amazed what they have already learned in one week. This keeps the class motavated and wanting to learn more.

Having a great sense of humor always revitalizes the class and promotes discussions. The first day I tell all the students. No matter how bad your day is, I will make sure you when you leave you will have a smile and a new outlook for that day. We all have great stories that relate to our career. Tell them. It shows the trials that they will face and hopefully be ready for them.

Teaching students from different cultural, financial, social and age backgrounds at a vocational level is a real challenge for me at times. Students bring with them all kinds of expectations that we might never live up to. I have learnt to make some accommodations for students while not diluting what I am trying to teach them. I find a good way to get through to students at my school is to remind them that they are all there pursuing a dream, and that dreams are not easy to attain but I am here to help them achieve this goal. I point out that our differences may make us unique but we can all learn something new from each other.

I motivate students by involving them in the subject contents in all of the lectures. I also make all of the students get involved and do their own lab assignments.

with some students motivation is very hard for them some have jobs and familey that take up a lot of thier time even with the want that they have for the school it may make it hard for them with these students I ask them what can I do to help you, with the understanding I'm not giving you a free ride but how can I make it a little bit easyer for that student. For other students it seems that they will rebut any thing that you try, these are the ones that realy need your help and these are the ones that cann't bring themselves to recieve it in any form, at least not in public.

I put it this way because you may not always see what is going on and until you can see the student in his eyes, class time may not be enjoyable for that student. some classes no matter how they are taught can and will be a challenge for some students. so seeing the class from thier eyes is a way of understanding how they feel on what is being taught. and an insight on what changes you may need to make to teach that class better.

I understand that business is business and the bottom line is what drive it's I also understand that with out the student there we would not have a business. So with that said, retention seems harder to reach the level at witch we need to have with the way things are going in the USA. But I can say that if we can reach the students and make them aware it is a good thing for them to stay in school by asking them what goal it is that they wish reach in life. What are the things that they enjoy and is fun to them. With this info you may be able to reach more through using this information as a tool. by tighing things that are being taught to the students with things that they enjoy doing, seeing or hearing. If this can be done early on your retention would be higher and more students would enjoy your class.

with some students it not that you understand them it's if they fear that you are to much of a authoritarian and they can not or will not let someone else tell them what to do or even direct them to do better. I have had some students fear that they would show weakness if they did so because of thier back ground,it would not be acceptable.

Being able to adapt your presentation style and content to the needs of your students is what is all about and make sure they are learning