Sir_Steven Shortridge

Very true! Planning does help a lot. The challenge is to stay on top of your work and to manage your time to do so. Good Job!

As a top notch twenty-five year professional, I believe communication and the way you are dressed makes and important statement about you. I address my students with a surname [to show respect] and I encourage and open learning environment for them to learn. My appearance shows my sincere intentions in acheiving excellence from them and me. My lectures and hands on work re-inforces this committment on my part.

Eye contact is very important to make with a student. It shows a sign of respect that goes both ways and helps to manage a classroom to it best potential. Students need to be reassured all is good. Eye contact helps in this way and we need to do this daily. If you ignore a student, then that is disrespectful and iritates another human being being. So watch yourself!

To instruct my classes, I take the role of class monitor and guide very seriously. It's a lot of fun to interact with my students to exchange new ideas and old ones that still hold up. I balance the way I speak to my students by asking one person from each side of the room to share their experience and observations. This works wonders.

On day one for all of my classes, I give my students a prospectus, course outline, and textbook checklist. These are used to communicate the goals and aspirations of what we want to do in our class. It keeps everyone on their toes to learn. After teaching over 7 years, I have never had any problems with my students with excuses for not finishing thier homework or turning projects in on time. This has served me well.

It is important to have experience to aid in your teaching. Otherwise, its just textbook knowledge in theory alone. I use my experience and visual aids to help my students learn better and to help encourage a successful completion of the class.

The first day of class can be stressful, painful and nervousness all around. The best way to break the ice is to get to know each other. I draw a big + [plus] on my board and after introducing myself, I asked each of my students to come to the front of class. They will introduce themselves and write their name and reason for taking the class. I ask them to tell us their expectations as well. In the end, this is a good exercise in networking and breaking the ice. Good deal all around!

As a season professional teacher dealing with everyday stress we have to constently find answers to problems. So, who wants more stress? Planning helps to lower stress and even eliminates it altogether. Not a bad way to go eh? Think about keeping it. Keep it simple and to the point. Plan ahead to help guide you through your course and you will avoid pitfalls, problems and enrich your student's educational life. Communication is the key to solving all problems. Planning is a solution to the problem.

Your instructional style is of professional and personal experience. I strive to meet the criteria within our college policies and rules to help our students succeed.