Patricia Scales

Hi Teresita, Students become very interested in an assignment whenever the assignment is work related. I teach a Professional Development course, and every assignment is work related. The students are so eager to get these assignments completed with 100% accuracy. The students fully understand how the work related assignments will help them with their future. Patricia

Cara I think it is a great idea! At times, students will tell each other things that they will not tell the instructors. Implement this idea to determine how effective it will be. Patricia

Hi Cara, We have peer tutors at my institution, and the students love this group of students. Sometimes a student can explain a concept to another student a different way other than the instructor's way, and the student's light bulb comes on. It is beautiful to see another student helping their classmate. Patricia

Hi Mike, What lead of another instructor do you normally follow to avoid common instructor mistakes? I have found that sometimes it's best to set your own standards even higher than that of another instructor's standards. Patricia

Mike, Absolutely, you better let a student know what is expected of them on DAY 1. The expectations give the students a road map to follow so that they know where they are headed. Students want to know their direction. Patricia

Hello Mike, Isn't that amazing for a person to be in college, and they have no idea as to why they are in college. I have a student in my class, and he is truly there because his wife is an educator and his wife's parents are retired educators, and these kin folks want to see him make something out of himself so that he can contribute to the household. It seems as though the student is simply just going through the motions to please his wife and in-laws. Patricia

Hi Micheal, I use an awesome PowerPoint presentation for every course I teach, explaining to the students how the course will benefit them once they enter the work place. I find this tactic to be very effective. Students love to know the practicality of a course. Patricia

Hi Douglas, A video is always a great introducer to a course. Students enjoy videos as an icebreaker. The visual learners really like the idea of watching videos. Patricia

Hello Glenda, It is always best to find out what's going on with a student. Once you have discovered what the problem is, generally, as educators we can come up with a good plan, if you can not come up with a solution always utilize your resources. I have found at my school, we have plenty of personnel that we can utilize as resources. Patricia

Hi Glenda, I solely agree with you, class preparation is extremely important to help avoid commonly made instructor mistakes. Students can tell very quickly when an instructor is unprepared. Unpreparedness will cause an instructor to lose credibility. We are all human, and from time to time, we as instructors may make mistakes. Own up to your mistakes and move forward. Students will have greater respect for you, if you take responsibility for your actions. I like the idea of you having the students do research to find the answer as well. I use this tactic with my students also. Patricia