The inattentive student is the hardest for me, what do you guys do to deal with them?

I happen to share one student with other instructors in other courses. I would hear stories from my fellow instructors about violent outbursts coming from this one student, but it was hard for me to believe this because the student never presented signs of this behavior in my class. From now on I will pay more attention to my fellow instructors comments/concerns and keep a closer eye on the most subtle hints that could lead to a violent incident in my class.

When laser pointed peer pressure is applied to unfocused, unprepared, etc. students; the unpleasant/dirty work for the most part is not done by your hands, but by their own peers. Works great!

Has anyone tried the "observer" method for this type of student? While I understand the concept behind it, it seems fairly juvenille, and I was wondering if it has worked with adult students. It seems similar to playing "the quiet game" with younger students where the first one to talk without being called-on loses. Usually, the Center Stage students that I have had want to speak (for a variety of reasons), and I don't see that desire disappearing because they have been assigned a job to summarize the lesson. I'd love to hear how other instructors have used this method.

I instill in my student's brains that the classroom is like a training ring. The more we sweat together during training the less blood will be spilled in the battlefield of the labor force, so stay focus on the classroom objectives/goals because one day it might just save your work life.

I can't stress how important is being overprepared for class.

In most cases, I think students cheat because of the lack of preparation.

INSTRUCTORS MAKE THE MISTAKE OF TREATING STUDENT LIKE ADULTS BY ASSUMING THE KNOW ALOT ABOUT A SUBJCT BECAUSE THEY ARE OLDER. TREAT EVERYONE AS IF THEY ARE STARTERS SO THAT EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE ACADEMICALLY

student behavior is very important and can make or break the class and the instruction being taught. handle with extreme care

students who need help in english will have challenges that need to be addressed.

I have questions. Who is qualified to be a guest speaker? Should s/he have graduated from the college in which I am instructing or can s/he be an employee in the field? What kind of education will s/he need? Where do I find this guest speaker? I think having a guest speaker would be beneficial to the course, however, I don't want to bring in someone whose work ethics and opinions aren't in-line with the college Mission and Goals.

New to college students need to have the proper information. Many students have either not been exposed to the college setting or have had a long lapse in education. Providing the proper information may alleviates some of the apprehension connected with college. For example, there is quite a bit of information provided for the blogs we submit.

I have been a teacher for over 10 years and the most common problem I findnwith experienced teachers is thatnthey become complacent. Teaching can become routine over the years, but the instructor can not loose that edge. You must always find a new twist to your presentation to keep it fresh.

I currently have a class, teaching basic math and there are a number of students who are having difficulty grasping basic math concepts (addition, subtraction of fractions, etc). My question is how long do I continue to work with these students and delay the class from moving forward. It appears to be about 6 students out of approximately 18 that are struggling.

I have multicultural classes which presents an obvious challenge. I try to focus on the common thread which unites them in this class and how I portent it is to achieve their individual goals. I try to do as much one on one as possible but that is not always possible. I therefore accentuate as much as possible a common motivation (success) as I can. It has worked out well thus far.

I teach very complex and often dry subject matter. I enjoy giving my students quirky facts that relate to what I am teaching, I.e. A different spin on the subject. My students become more involved when they discover the relevance of the topic at hand.

Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with mean-spirited students who complain behind your back, discount your teaching because they don't think they need the essentials your teaching, and in general like to rock the boat and make themselves more important than anything else in their education? I have an unfortunate feeling that these students are generational and are everywhere.

I had an experience with a student who would always bring there negativity in my classroom how would you deal with this?

I think discussing coping techniques with other experienced instructors is a great way develop your coping skills. If you do not find a method to release stress it will manifest itself in other negative ways. For instance you may become irritable and unapproachable because you are stress out about the lack of teaching support materials; power-point slides etc..

I have found that by reviewing the material thoroughly I often am more relaxed in class and can allow the lecture/discussion to develop in a free form rather than having the class move along a 'railroad' kind of metaphor. By being exceptionally well-prepared the class and I can stop and examine different areas of interest without the sense that the class is an active/passive structure - me the actor and they the passive audience.