To avoid failure be prepared and exhibit confidence by asking simple subject matter questions

Do you think having students come to the board and explain their solutions to certain problems reduce bad behavior?

maintain order challenging question Do challenging students react well to groups?

do you think good math students do better in English as opposed to bad math students?

This doesn't always work with everyone in every class, but something that I do on day 1 is to begin a discussion on the classroom's culture and expected student and instructor behaviors. This discussion of values and norms sets expectations, and I periodically bring up our day 1 conversation throughout the term if individuals get off track. It seems help to get the students to first discuss in groups what acceptable classroom behavior looks like, then bring together in a class discussion. Instead of me telling them what they need to do, they tell themselves. Doesn't always work, but I have found success with it.

A few earlier posts discussed giving a quiz on the syllabus on day 1. Instead of quizzing students, I believe that a group activity involving the completion of a questionnaire about the syllabus is more supportive and can aid in the ice-breaking process. Even something lighthearted such as a true/false questionnaire with some ridiculous statements (eg. "T/F - All exams and papers are optional") can serve as a good tension reliever.

I am an online instructor and spend many hours per day sitting. While I do run and attend yoga classes, I still find myself sore from the stress and lack of movement while at my desk. I found an application called "Time Out" that I use on my computer. When you turn it on, it gives you an alert every 10 minutes to take a 10 second break. I stop and stretch just a bit. It also takes a 10 minute break each hour, that I use to get up and walk around or do something else away from my desk. It helps a lot!

I have had a difficult time finding web resources for my quizzes and grade recording. Up to now, I have been using the school portal for assignment uploading and course forums. But the websites provided in module 2 are going to be a GREAT addition to my courses! In addition to keeping a database like Excel for my grades (which is only available to me, and I have to retrieve it every time a student asks for their grades), I am going to post them internally on our portal and use teacherease.com. Easy TestMaker looks like something I will want to try too, and I'm sure even the students will enjoy taking online quizzes through quizstar. There's also TestGen if anyone has heard of it. Works with many Pearson texts. Thank you for the helpful sites!

I recently had an experience where the student (who I also think was ADD) had a different excuse each week for why he didn't have his assignments turned in to me (one was that the hard drive with his papers on it were in his brother's truck, which was in another state, but that he would be back the following weekend, and it still took me several weeks to get all the assignments). Whether they were true or not, I finally caught him in one where "the computer and Internet at home were down, his father was threatening to kick him out of the house, etc." and I told him that he could have come to the computer lab on campus. He really didn't have a reply. I think it also got him to finally stop engaging with me in a manipulative way.

The silent student may be shy or insecure or may not want to standout as a brain. In some situations being a brain makes you an outsider and left out of activities.

or respected, 2 very different things

They really dont see it as cheating themselves out of an education, sad to say..

Had a student last block that just could'nt be quiet.Always had a commet to the point of distraction. A real Challenge.

A great starting platform, a solid foundation is whats needed before framing.

When an instructor takes over a class because of administration schedule changes and the class and teacher up to that point have had an excellant report and ongoing successful classroom experieince, what do you feel you be the most effective way to help the students transition in to the new class environment/style techniques of the new instructor?

I used to teach at a college where it was expected the instructors 'friend' their students on Facebook, give their personal email addresses (not just their college emails), add them to their tweet list (and it was encouraged to be on Twitter), etc. Some instructors even went to student's parties. A recent video has a student stating his instructor is his best friend. I never did any of that. To me, this is fraught with peril. One instructor literally tweeted how proud he was that he could take a photo and tweet while driving. This sends the wrong message to the students. They look up to us (most of the time) and some want to emulate us. I could see potential lawsuits coming from that if a student got into a wreck, hurt herself or someone else, and said "But my instructor does it". Students will ask me to friend them, but I politely refuse.

I find I get stressed out very quickly and very easily. Teaching, being a father, professional responsibilities, church responsibilities, etc... The stress adds up quickly. Has anyone done the stress list, and has it helped?

I'm going to play devil's advocate here. It's stated that taking points off the grade for a late assignment "replicates the deadline criterion of the work world". No, it doesn't. In my field, if you are late, you lose the client, you lose money and, ultimately, you will lose your job. Do this enough, you lose your business. There are no valid "Oh, we didn't get finished on time...." excuses because client deadlines are written in stone. Added Note: I give each student a sheet outlining the project and the due date and time. I also put this info online where all students have access 'in case they lose their info sheets'. Students know I do this, and many have had me for multiple terms, yet still try to say they didn't know the deadline. Now, again as devil's advocate (I'm reiterating this point), please defend how a missed deadline and merely taking a percentage off for each day it isn't turned in replicates the real world? I am a strong advocate at the college/higher ed level that if a deadline is missed, the student gets a '0' right off the bat. Please explain why I should back down on this belief.

In my courses, when homework is due, we go over it in class on the due date as a review of material and grade it together with careful scrutiny by me. The students tell me this is helpful. However, the students that didn't turn in the assignment then have the opportunity to write down answers and turn it in late with point deduction penalties. Many students then say I'll e-mail it to you because you let so-n-so do it. I have allowed this once or twice due to extenuating circumstances. However, then they push the deadline to 5 p.m., then it becomes midnight, then it becomes after their work shift, regardless of the line I draw in the sand. I remind them that the homework was due at 8:00 a.m. in class. Then I have to gain access to a printer and print and grade their paper separately. Sometimes they put it back on me, like "Don't you remember?...I e-mailed that to you." It has become really inefficient for me and I am considering no electronic submission of assignments at all! Professional schools (medical, dental, law) often use electronic submission of assignments. The nice thing about e-mail attachments is the time stamp. What do you think about e-submission of assignments, late or not?

I have never dealt with a cheating student. I hope I won't in the future.