Patricia Scales

About me

I've been a career educator for over 20 years. I currently serve as the Academic Coordinator for Brookstone College of Business and continue to be active in the classroom as a Business Instructor. My motto is "A student doesn't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." I was honored to receive the Career College Association National Teacher of the Year award in 2001. I just love teaching!

Activity

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Capturing student attention

Hi Marilyn, Yes, a sure way to get students involved is to call upon all. Students tend to really pay attention whenver they know that eventually it will be their turn. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Making course requirements clear for students

Hi Timothy, These ideas are very effective. I have implemented most of them. They make a big difference for the better. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Reducing student cheating

Hi Rajeswari, Students need to know about plagiarism. There are some students that act as though they do not fully undersand plagiarism. I like how you have your students change seats. You never know, some students come in to class wanting to sit beside a particular person for whatever reason. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Reducing student complaints and challenges

Hi John, It certainly is important to revisit expectations. Invariably, you will get a student or students that will act as though they never heard the announcement. This amazes me, but it happens every grading period. I encourage my students to write things down, instead of relying soley on memory. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Making course requirements clear for students

Hi Donald, Students certainly miss a lot whenever they miss the first day of class. I get my students up to speed whenever they miss the first day, but it is nothing like being there on the very first day to hear the in depth explanation of various things. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Making course requirements clear for students

Hi Pandora, I like how you entertain questions on the very first day. It is important that students are clear about course requirements on the first day. Students need to fully understand what is expected of them. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Maintaining a professional image

Hi Carol, As an educator, anyone should walk into the classroom and be able to distinguish who is the instructor based on one's appearance. Dress for sucess is a must. Certainly, one should look the part. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Making course requirements clear for students

Hi Barbara, It is good to have instructor availability. Students need and want us to be available to them...afterall, it is our job to make ourselves available. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Identifying challenging students

Hi William, I like your approach! You make it known up front that you are not going to tolerate the nonsense. I am sure most students get your drift. Sometimes you have to be harsh, such as dismissing a student to let them know that you are in control, and you are not going to let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch. Patricia

Patricia Scales

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Avoiding common instructor mistakes

Hi Ty, Your safest approach is to assume they do not know anything. Students can get lost in the shuffle because we as educators do assume they know certain things. Patricia

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