James Jackson

Marybeth, knowledge is power as the saying goes and you are working to spread your knowledge to your students thus providing them the power to take more control over their lives. Tell them this is taking place and you will see a difference in many of your students. Sometimes they just need a better understanding of what you are doing for them and with them versus their initial thoughts of what they perceive as you are doing to them. Lead by example and being prepared for every lesson is a key element to earning your students trust and respect. James… >>>

Susan, some students are also just so competitive that they will argue a point that they even know they may not win simply to see if they can turn the decision in their favor. There are many testing systems in a number of industries where there may be several answers that are close to being correct but one will always stand above the rest. In the world of technology and Microsoft Certifications, this is the case and the industry exams will always have one best answer with the others being very close. This is done to ensure the test takers… >>>

Lee, the awesome thing here is you are willing to be critical of your own strategies. This shows me that you are working hard towards moving from a good instructor to a great instructor. Pat yourself on the back and understand these things take time. Greatness comes through hard work and a strategy to get you there, you seem to have this well in hand. : - ) As for the "leader of the pack" situation, best practice here is to have one-on-one discussions with your students that seem to want to take control in the classroom. As them directly… >>>