I understand that a multi-dynamic, active learning approach invites students to engage in classroom material. Further, sincere concern and direct contact with student improves their attendance. My question to the forum is: "How can I best motivate and facilitate success in adult students who can not attend class regularly due to work,family, and financial obligations?"

How is being transparent with your stress effective?

You need to remember this especially when you are feisty all the times and you don't want to be like that with your students in order to maintain that professional behavior.

I really liked the Ice Breaker Activity; paper plane idea was great. I think I’m going to start doing this at the beginning of the semester/quarter (possible the first class) with hopes that the class will define themselves as a group versus individuals.

Reading this section bothered me. There was a part where it was suggested to put these students who don't care or are unprepared into groups so they can see the value of group participation in their work and the other students cant move forward until he or she does his part. Last month I took a CEE course (ED105 or ED106) saying groups should be graded on both group and individual participation. So the way I see it is if the last is true, assigning an I don't care learner to a group will not only allow the IDC learner to glide but mess up the grades of those who do. I can see this method working to an extent if the conditions are right. Being new to the instructor community I am trying to keep my mind open however in the field I instruct the entire course is based on individual effort and those who do not care or perform eliminate themselves from the course. Any suggestions for this would be greatly appreciated

Im very new to the professional instructor world (4 months) I am having a hard time deciding what would be a better option on the case of late assignments. Case by case can be time consuming and frustrating. However case by case seems to be more fair with situations such as family emergencies, medical reasons etc but a firm late policy for all regardless is fair because these situations arise in the real world and depending on the boss or company, late assignments will be dealt with case by case or a total no go. My questions is this. Is there a fair way to combine the two with learner instructor communication or should that firm line be drawn into the sand?

The career school that I teach at operates on a wheel principle. Every three months we get a new group of starts. We go from basic electricity to advanced wiring for HVAC/R. Most students come through with little or no prior experience wiring anything. After a few weeks of hard-work and the learning of a lot of foreign information, I reveal to the new students that their lab partner that they have been paired up with was a new start three months ago just like them. I find it really helps to build a community learning environment, and also is a huge motivator to make students strive for excellence. Not saying that I don't come across that hard to reach student. And I do. Sometimes this helps them as well.

As an instructor, I give plenty of time to complete assignments. I understand that students have other obligations, work and family, but in the "real world" a deadline is a deadline. If it's not complete, its a zero.

Quality of Work It’s obvious that in order to be considered a professional by clients and peers, you need to work hard and be good at what you do. I consider this to be the foundation for your entire image. Responsiveness and Customer Service The level of importance you place on your clients is an important element of creating a professional persona. Some facets of responsiveness and customer service may include: Being willing to go the extra mile to make your clients happy Responding to e-mail and phone messages promptly Following up with clients after a project to ask for their feedback Being willing to make recommendations and offer solutions to problems Accountability Holding yourself accountable can be challenging at times, but if you do it successfully, you will gain the respect of others. This means that although you should take credit and celebrate successes, you also need to face your role in any failures and shortcomings, without excuses. Overall Presentation Essentially, your presentation is responsible for making a solid first impression and getting potential clients moved to the next level. This can be your web site, marketing materials, proposals and project plans, portfolio, voicemail message, e-mail signature, your look and voice when you meet with clients, and any element that puts you in front of your prospects. Communication and Listening Ability The way you communicate, verbally and in written form, tells a lot about who you are and how you work. Being clear, concise, respectful and responsive is vital for success. And don’t forget about the importance of listening to your clients and taking the time to hear and understand what they are saying. Social Networking Personas While your profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, on your blog and other networking sites also play a role in your overall presentation, they deserve individual attention. What you say in those forums may feel informal and relaxed, but keep in mind that these outlets can work against you if you’re not being consistently professional and genuine. Reputation Although sometimes we’d all like to ignore what others think of us, your reputation can go a long way in supporting (or hurting) your professional image. That’s why it’s so important to treat others with respect and honesty, even if you would never consider working or collaborating with them. These are the factors that I focus on as part of my professional image, and I try to keep each one consistent with the others. What elements would you add to this list that help you present yourself as a professional?

Tips for Managing Student Behavior October 27th, 2008 by TC Bear Any experienced teacher will know good discipline does not just happen all at once. Managing student behavior is a learned skill, but classroom control will begin before the students even enter the classroom. Managing student behavior is no easy task. Each teacher will develop his or her own form of discipline. Remember that students need to feel valued and welcomed. They need to know that you have an honest interest in each one of them, not only as a class, but also as individuals. For good discipline, certain behaviors are necessary on the part of the teacher: Be consistent; establish the rules and stick to them. Consequences should be fair and consistently applied. Be prepared for the students who will test the rules. Do not threaten students with a consequence unless you are ready to carry it out. Students will view you as inconsistent if you fail to do what you say. Do not be judgmental; look at each situation from all angles before you designate a consequence. Never put off discipline. Handle any behavioral problem when it occurs. Make sure students understand the rules and the consequences. Students need to know how to behave in any given situation. With some students, you may want to do role-playing at the beginning of the school year. In this way, students will see what is expected of them and see the consequences being applied. Show a true interest in all of the students. Each one needs to be treated as an individual and with respect, not just another student. When giving praise to any student, use his or her name with the praise. Nothing pleases students more than to hear their names used in a good light. Implement well-planned lessons. Know what you are going to teach and be well prepared. Allow for flexibility. There will be many interruptions in a school year; you will not accomplish everything that is planned on a particular day.

Melissa Harris-Lacewell from Princeton University was the keynote speaker at the 2009 OPID Spring Conference in Milwaukee. She stated,"If we want to capture our students' attention, we have to be more engaging than email or porn." Your thoughts???

There are a lot of ways of handling late homework submissions, of which I've only tried a few. The general policy I've settled on is something like the following. Homework must be submitted at the beginning of class on the day it's due. Late homework is not accepted. This is pretty harsh, I think. But with this policy in place, I make unofficial exceptions on a case-by-case basis (it's easier to start with an overly harsh policy and make exceptions in the students' favour than the other way around), for example, if a student happens to be late to class on a day that homework is due. I want students to be motivated to hand in their work on time. Highly motivated. That's why I make the official policy so strict. But I feel bad about actually adhering to such draconian measures (they should get zero for missing the bus?), which is why I make exceptions. But overall, I'm dissatisfied with the ad hoc nature of this approach. How can I motivate students to submit homework by the deadline without being "overly harsh"?

I think the more cluttered your office becomes, the more you become unorganized and insecure about fulfilling your task for the day or week. I have lots of clutter on my desk and it is not because I want it that way, but it is because I really do not have the time during the day to regroup and reflect on my task at hand, so it just becomes another piece of paper on my desk.

If an Instructor's personality lends itself to a certain style of teaching, how can the instructor resist the temptation to slip back into using that style even if it's less productive.

I found the comparison of having assignment deadlines to reenforce the concept of deadlines at work to be helpful. It is a good comparison to give students, especially in a trade school.

I have to say this probably has been of the best lessons I have taken. I am so excited to start our next term. I think sometimes we all take for granted our teaching styles. This really woke me up

How to keep all students interested in the topic.

When a student is caught cheating whether they admit to it or deny it should they be given a second chance?

No matter how much of rush we as instructors may be we have to be sure to find time to communicate with our students so that they won't feel neglected nor that we ruin their excitement of the program.

I have found that letting each individual student know on day one of what is expected from them will minimize problems later within a course. If they know your homework policy, test policy, attendance policy up front you usually will not have a problem. Although I know there will be the occasional reminding needed done for the most part when you make it clear from the beginning what you expect of them and what they will be learning, usually everything works out perfectly. I think when a student does not know the expectations from course to course then that is when trouble will arise. That is why each new student I gain receives the Classroom Etiquette paper work and I highlight key points and what is expected from day one. Once they receive their uniforms and I.D. badges they are expected to wear them each time we meet. Most students have jobs already so they are aware of the importance of following the attire protocol. I also highlight attendance which is a huge non-compliance issue for many students, but I also give every student my contact information and receive theirs on the first day of class, so they know that the communication will be equal from both parties. Now how should I go about handling a student who feels they do not have to reach out to me if they will not be in class, since I mention how much communication will play a huge role while they are taking the course?