Sometimes I think the angry student is upset about something that has nothing to do with the class or instructor. It is important to listen to that student, not to pass judgement and certainly not to let it disrupt the class.

It is important for the students to know what they can expect from the course and how they are going to accomplish those expectations.

I know that my style has changed as I have gained more experience as an Instructor, but I never thought of myself as a controller, buddy, apathete, or guide. It is interesting to know that you can be a mixture of each one, do well, and still grow as time goes on. I have also found a new way to look at the way adult students would like to be managed, disciplined, and spoken to. I really appreciate the information and plan on applying as soon as tomorrow.

we put a section in our syllabus regarding the expectation of professional behavior. This is presented to the students on day one so we are able to set the expectations for the students from the start.

One of the most difficult situations I ever had was 2 students that got in an argument that almost ended in blows… not even HS or College kids they were adults in their 40’s. I had to quickly act and get their attention, I heaved my training book at the front wall (did want to hit anyone LOL) to make a loud noise and then sternly asked them both to exit the class to the hall with me, and told them both that they would be removed from the class and the school if they didn’t calm down and act their age. I won’t go into the details of what started it, but the gentleman that was out of line and started was asked to leave for the night.

I think that we have to somewhat pick our battles when thinking along the lines of adult education. At my location the students are required to wear school specific scrubs. When the students go on externship they may also be required to dress according to their policies/procedures. I usually allow those students to take an extra 5 minutes (again..depending on the circumstances) to be dressed appropriately for my setting. A little understanding allows the student to meet the needs of the externship as well as my institutional needs.

I try to encourage our new instructors that everyone is nervous. But also that even on a bad day, you know more than your students, be confident and they will follow.

I find they often are bringing in outside issues. May just need someone to let them vent, they may not have that outside of class.

Helping students use school resources more effectively as well as not seeing themselves as victims in there own life helps them be more committed to completing their education commitment.

I try to make sure students are very clear about grading practices and expectations so that they can focus more on content than a particular grade. I think this encourages them so be successful and not "beat down" by a arbitrary grading system.

I have found this very reassuring. All of the topics were things that I have thought and or felt. It was nice to see I am definitely not the only one.

I have had a student that every time I gave instructions they would do it differently. When I approached the student about it they would say they were do the lab the way it was instructed. I tried to bring the class back together and demonstrate the instructions again. This did nothing the student still refused to do it the way it was instructed. How do you deal with this type of student?

The incoming students are anywhere from 17-70, how do you choose an icebreaker for all?

I have started to listen to music while preforming clerical tasks or reading class related material.

When I find myself stressed about something I take a moment to examine what is stressing me and evaluate justhow important it is. I also make sure that my family, friends, and students understand that I have many different groups demanding my time and efforts and that all of them have to respect the importance of each group.

I had never thought of having the students underline the important parts of the essay or short answer test before what a great idea. I also like the idea of performing all of my clerical duties at the sametime everyday.

I try to complete tasks like copying term lists, medication list, and coding lists before the term begins so I can concintrate on the thinks that come up daily.

I have found, teaching adult students, there are incidents students have no control over, such as the baby sitter is sick, the car broke down or they were involved in an accident, etc. Talking to the student after class and being concerned has a tendency to alleviate these incidents from occurring again. What have other instructors done to address these situations?

I am very stressed person that once needed medication to help manage it. I implemented jogging into a daily routine and my anxiety has dramitically decreased. The anxiety also keep me throught the night, but now I self talk and say save it for thinking on the next days jog. When I'm done with my day's jog I feel like I have left the anxiety on the pavement behind me.

One approach I have had success with is to begin the class by introducing myself and talking a little bit about my own experience in relation to the course offered. This builds trust with the students that they are, in fact, learning from a professional in their field of study. Next, I ask them what their experiences have been so I learn where to set the class learning objectives, and we assess their initial comfort levels with the course on a scale of 1-10. Then we examine the syllabus together and I ask them to re-evaluate their comfort levels, which opens up discussion to address any concerns they may still have before we get started.