One way to curb the desire and/or opportunity to cheat would be to assign individualized work. You don't have to go to the trouble of individualizing all student work if you set up an assignment that can apply to multiple situations. For example: You want your students to show their progress with proficiency in Excel and Access. You ask them to visit and select a business of interest. Every part of your course lesson plan can be related to the real-world business of choice. An Excel budget set up for a large department store would be different from a budget set up for a barber shop. An Access inventory for a car parts distributor would be quite different from the categories chosen for a grocery store, etc. In this manner you've individualized the work by using projects than can relate to many situations.

The most commmon mistake I see in instructors is that they feel they are superior to the student.

Angery students should be dealt with very carefully in that they can disrupt the entire class.

It is important to identify why the student is a challenge and the addres that area to engage the student in a positive way.

The Syllabus should be articualte and easy to follow for the student to maximize participation within the class

Attendance is by far my biggest challenge. I have a general education class in computer science where classes are 4 hours each for 10 weeks. If a student misses a class it is nearly impossible for them to make up the work. I spend a lot of time in the first class reviewing the syllabus and the importance of being in every class. I spend more time helping them to understand the reliance that society and every workplace has on computers. I use real current examples across many fields including theirs, but it does not always help. The problem is that they are adults with jobs and families and school in most cases comes in 3rd.

I teach sociology and psychology at a career college. These are general education courses required to obtain a degree. Students are often less than enthused to take these courses because they do not see how they will enhance their skills to get a job in the technology field or graphic design, etc. I have tried giving the rationale that these courses teach about general human behavior and the motivations for that behavior. As humans it is important to understand this behavior in their work and personal lives. I have even tried to tie specific examples to their career fields. This is sometimes unsuccessful. I try to get students hooked by using my personality and humor and that sometimes works to get students who were not previously engaged to buy in. The best technique I've found is that when there is a project to be done, I allow students to chose topics they are interested in and apply the course material to those projects. For instance, in a society and technology class, students did a show and tell on a technology and presented examples of how that technology changed over time. I got presentations on things like rope, shoes, hand held video games, and electronic file storage. Not only did students work hard on the project, but the rest of the class was engaged in watching the presentations and asking questions. I find that adult learners need to stretch their own wings but some of the younger students have a more difficult time independently coming up with their own ideas. I think this is because in their K-12 lives (that have just recently ended) they are not encouraged to think for themselves and chose how to apply their knowledge.

Establishing open communications with students so they will understand the importance of finding answers to their questions and hopefully if the need arises to ask for assistance if needed. Students need to know that the instructor will assist or advice, if possible and if they can’t maybe they know someone or some organization who can provide assistance. During the first session while going over the syllabus and class prospectus, I discuss what is expected of them, what they will be doing, why they need the course, what they learn can be used in the real world, hands-on experiences, and goals. Attendance and class participation are encouraged along with code of academic integrity. Understand the courses I teach are five hours long so a lot of information is given in each session along with lab time to complete their assignments. As an instructor, I give my students 10 minute breaks every hour so they can relax and re-group.

It seems difficult to monitor student cheating today. The students have come up with new ways of cheating all the time. I guess its due to new technology.

I speand a significant amount of time preparing my lectures. This seems to help with any pre-class nerves.

My students are warned, then they are sent home for the day for any repeat disruptions. They get the message pretty quick.

Clearly defining the objectives of the class can help student focus on the goal.

To Do List are a must if you have many hats to wear. Each day the list may change just as life changes. But, what a wonderful feeling to get to check things off!

It is important to create a schedule and a lesson plan that will help with organization and time management. In addition, keeping a daily planner will alleviate stress because the planner will act as guide so one can view their level of priorities. This will help the individual to stay on time with their task.

You, as the instructor, need to learn how to manage your time most effectively. I found it is best to make a list and try to prioritize what is most important to what is least important. It is essential to do the most important tasks first even if you are tempted to do the easiest tasks first.

Some of the ways that i found very helpful to reduce stress are eating healthy and exercise. I always try to eat a well balanced meal with several fruits and vegetables. I also go the gym several times a week which is a great stress reducer. Both of these techniques seem to make it a little easier to get through the day.

What are some practical examples of how to help your students visualize their expectations of mastering the content, skills, and gaining the necessary expertise from the course? I agree that this is a critical piece, since if the students don't think they will succeed, there is no use trying, however I am unsure of what to do. Can anyone provide some examples?

Excersise is absolutely the best way for sreaa relief

Excersise is great to relieve stress and helps you sleep better at night.

The use of computer programs and internet for research are optimal ways of saving time.