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Ask a question from your peers to help you in your professional work. Seek different points of view on a topic that interests you. Start a thought-provoking conversation about a hot, current topic. Encourage your peers to join you in the discussion, and feel free to facilitate the discussion. As a community of educators, all members of the Career Ed Lounge are empowered to act as a discussion facilitator to help us all learn from each other.

student frustrations

Students are frustrated in many ways outside pressures, their inabilities, physical abilities, their knowledge limits, time constraints.

Motivating the Adult Learner

I feel the most important point of motivating an adult learner is to show them how they benefit by learning the subject material and how it is useful and practicial for their job and/or career. If you don't get that "buy in" it's hard to keep their interest. They feel like it's a waste of time.

Building Rapport with Students

I feel one of the most important thing you can do to build rapport with the students is to show them that you do not know it all and make mistakes. Being a technical Instructor I some times but out wrong information. When I do, I'll get the whole class together for a "Pow Wow". This gives me the opportinity to correct my mistake and shows them my human side as well. One other note from past experince. If you are sitting in another Instructor's class and he/she makes a mistake get with them on a break and talk about it. That way after break they can make the correction with the class themselves. Never try to correct he/she in front of the class. Doing so causes them to lose creditability.

Student Retention

I've found as an Instructor that learning the students names is very important for retention. It makes involving the students in lectures much more effect and well as other benefits. The trick is finding a way that works for you. Some ways include: Making a seating chart with the students names at each postion, when taking roll look at each student as you say their names, make a game with the students and tell them to not tell you their name until you tried from memory. There are many other ways to do this but you need to find a way that works for you.

15 day classes

Hi Gary, I belive I may have a unique situation. I instruct a class that only lasts for 15 days maximum. I find it difficult to not only understand there fears but even remember all the names. I am hopeing some one can offer some advice I can use.

All Ages

I have been in my profession for 21 years. I have had my share of all kinds of people to deal with. I feel that everyone needs support in what they want to acheive. With being a instructor, there is alot of different elements to deal with. This first module helped me to understand how to get to know your students and their needs, and the challenges that are going to go with it.

understanding students

With treating every student fairly, I also feels there is a reward for that. I enjoyed the instructional process for personal attention to all students. Being fair and caring to each student can help with you own values in life. Not everyone is the same, but we all have a heart.

One on one exchanges with students.

Most students crave 1 on 1 attention from an instructor. It can be difficult depending on the size of the class, but on occasion, you can convince a student you didn't know had problems and was thinking of dropping out to not drop out. Just talking about it with their instructor is enough to give them renewed hope and confidence that they made the right decision. It also makes them feel like they matter as opposed to being a faceless number. That all being said, is there a better way to remember names than some of the ways listed in the previous chapter. I sometimes struggle with this as out classes are only 3 weeks long. I sometimes find that I don't get their names memorized until the end of the second week.

BE THE BEST

I teach an engine building course and I regularly have students that there goal is to blow it up. I ask them, did Lingenfelter, Roush, our Saleen make their names by blowing thinks up? Earn some bragging rights by being the best group out there, make the most power, and see if you can get done and help another team. That's taking pride in your workmanship.

understanding students

with so many differant ages and backgrounds an instructor must continue to use differant methods of delivery

allow the learning process to go in both directions

When i allow the students to teach me, they have more confidence, are more positive in attitude, and i learn something which makes me better as an instructor.

Students that feel good about their choice to be in school

Sometimes just pointing out the reasons they made the decision to come to UTI and receive an education in their career choice brings out their best efforts. Keep it all positive.

student frustration at the entry level

Seems students just want to get the learning part over with so they can get into the field. They need a little more patience, but they don't see it.

Excitement about the subject matter

I feel that using personal stories about past experiences promotes excitement and interest in learning more on the part of the student. It also triggers enthusiasm in the instructor to make his/her lectures more fun for the students.

Humanizing

I have found that showing your students that you are "HUMAN" by sharing a personal "FUNNY" is a good way to keep them on track and awake. Eg. "Please don't sleep in this class! It tells me that you think I am boring! I already know I am boring, my wife told me so. I don't need you people backing that thought up! This always gets a laugh and keeps them awake.

New Beginnings

Regardless of age, gender or experience level, UTI is a new beginning for each and every student. It is very important that, as instructors, we get them off to a great start in their new chosen profession.

Multiple ages, backgrounds and experience levels.

It poses an interesting challenge for the instructor when the class has multiple or a wide range of ages, backgrounds and experience levels. Making sure that the novice is taught while keeping the more experienced students interested.

Motivation

Motivation comes in many forms, but the students have to be them selves motivated to bethere not just stuck there but family or relatives.

Student Focus

with all that is happening to them it is hard for them to focus on their education and career paths.

student frustration

We have to be on the lookout for signs of student frustration, because each student is different this may be more apparent in some students than others.