I really like the idea of having multiple class activities to pull from. I can see how this would be so helpful because class dynamics change a lot from term to term. Sometimes I have over 30 students and sometimes I have 8. There are some activities that are really difficult to do with 30 students and vice versa. Not only is the number of students important, but the personalities as well. I really liked the airplane activity and I am wondering what other class activities instructors in the forum have done that have proven successful in helping the students interact and learn, and in helping the instructor to get a sense of class dynamics?

I believe people too often overlook stress in their lives, they chock it up to "nature of the beast". I'm guilty of it too. This is when we need to be honest with ourselves, to acknowledge the stress, and then to identify the root causes. Sometimes it's easier to tolerate the stress, to just deal with it, but that is short-sighted. It would be to our greater good, and to the betterment of our students, if we make legitimate efforts to reduce the stress in our lives.

I have given my students a syllabus on the first day of class with their homework assignments due dates and all the test and quizzes for the entire course. I also review the syllabus the first night so there is not issue with understanding the course and when there due dates are. This has eliminated any issue with late assignment from the very first day of class.

Some healthy ways that I have found to handle stress are exercising, stretching, or going for a short walk/run. All of these were outlined in this course, but they actually do work. It gives you time away from whatever is stressing you and frees your mind to think about more peaceful, relaxing things.

We all feel stressed at some point in our lives. How we deal with everyday stresses is extremely important. A good and healthy way to deal with stress is to exercise. This helps to work off any frustration that may be caused by the factors stressing you, and helps you to feel better inside and out. If you do not have time to exercise, you can take a 5-10 minute break away from whatever is causing your stress. During this brief break, take a few deep breathes, think of a happier place and time, then return to your duties.

I recently changed my quiz and exam format to an online testing system. While it was a bit tedious and time consuming to create the quizzes and exams, it has saved me a lot of time that I would have had to spend manually grading the quizzes and exams. I also have it set up to where the computer grades the quizzes and exams, the student can see their grade immediately, as well as review questions that were answered incorrectly, and the grade is automatically sent to the grade book. This has saved me time not only in grading the quizzes and exams, but also in entering the grades into the grade book and reviewing the quizzes/test with the students.

I have found through my 32 years of instruction experience that you must establish boundaries for the students. You must set high standards in order to challenge the students but also be flexible in the grading requirements.

I find that having students draw diagrams of what they learned to be a successful formative assessment tool. I use this tool for feedback to me to either slow down or speed up my curriculum. It's interesting to have the students demonstrate their work on the board in front of their peers and encourages mastery and constructive criticism alike. Above all it's active and fun at the same time.

I have found that if you let the student vent brfore class and/or on a break, it will go a long way in defusing the situation. I try to be understanding and offer my help

I have had success by using these students as tutors for students who are behind.

It is vitally important to keep your students informed about the course and to keep them motivated towards the end goal of graduation and employment within the field.

I believe that my procrastination mainly occurs when I try to hard for perfection. I put so much time into preparing the perfect plan or to do list, but in reality I am putting off what needs to be done.

being stress free is not easy as it seems

instructor's stress is all the administrative work that has to be done along with the the work

it is important to use your time wisely

it is important to prioritize

The key for me is always to keep the focus on the lesson. As soon as a student takes the stage away from the lesson or the group activity, then it it becomes my job to direct them back towards are daily class goals. It's a mistake I believe to to allow the behavior to spill over past that point, but when it happens it becomes a matter that I will ask for help with after the class. At the very least an explanation for the behavior will be discussed, and if none can be found, then we search for help from others.

I believe it all starts with setting the expectations up front and having clearly defined objectives. Objectives are critical and students should know why they are sitting in a classroom, what to expect, what they are going to learn, what skill sets they will attain, how it will apply to their profession, how they are expected to learn, retain and apply the knowledge and what methods you are going to employ. The teacher also needs to explain deadlines, due dates and how to manage their time appropriately. Encouraging students to improve organizational skills utilizing electronic calendars is a great idea as well. Students should be asked to self assess prior to the instructor providing the initial assessment so he or she can identify where students may need more attention and or the teacher may need to change their strategy. At the end of the lesson or course the teacher should be able to tie everything back into the objective.

At our school we have split shifts. I find it hard to manage your activities when you go back and forth from days and nights. What seems to help is having a calender ready to write down a task as soon as it pops up in your head. It also helps for those quick changes.

Does anyone have any personal experience when different instructors have different interpretations of the school's dress code? ie- there is a difference in interpretation between instructors? Does this affect the professionalism of the instructor? Chris