Ted Forrand

Stress like pain exists for a reason – that reason is to know when limits have been met! Being organized in it of itself will reduce stress. Being organized is a sign of control. Often times stress is a result of being out of control or not being in control of a given situation. That brings about COPING with stress. The external factors that contribute to stress need to be addressed also. Being overweight, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking all lead to an overall degradation of physical well-being that lends itself to a reduced sense of self-esteem. In other words,… >>>

Stress originates from a variety of sources – depending on the individual. I think maturity has a lot to do with how people cope with stress. At the same time, a person can be stressed and not know it but people around them see behavioral traits that are ignored and or are not acted upon. If someone is stressed out or “pinging” due to something as simple as an overhead projector template not fitting properly, chances are there is something else going on in that person’s life. Then there is the issue of an instructor stressing out over course content… >>>

• Priorities = Time Management.

Priorities define time management. Being an instructor/teacher might appear to some as an occupation, vocation or profession that operates on a clock. Sure, school/class starts at 0700 and ends at 1500 with a 30-minute lunch and 10-minute breaks at each hour. The demands of being an instructor/teacher reach beyond those times, so it is incumbent for each teacher/instructor to establish priorities within those time constraints. Instructor/teachers have to also build in flex-time so they can address issues that do not perfectly fall in place with a defined schedule. Previously described is a 9-hour day of which… >>>

Time management, procrastination, immediacy, urgency, priorities, “to-do-lists,” can make anyone insecure. To someone that procrastinates time management of any kind is the equivalent of immediacy or urgency. People who are “on-fire” all the time have a sense of insecurity about them that can stem from any number of pent-up social abnormalities. My professional and vocational existence began long before email, text messaging and social media. Each of these forms of communication are immediate and can alter priorities with little or no notice. These never ending streams of data are generally distractions. That being considered, it is imperative that the priorities… >>>

The ultimate disciplinary response is to remove a student from the class. The same goes in the employment world students are signed up to enter. However, as instructors, class leaders or managers, it is incumbent for instructors to be resourceful in making every reasonable effort to help a student recover from their woes. Some students might be experiencing external struggles that lead to diminished performance in class. This could be academic performance or episodes of bad behavior. In most instances, the students we are guiding towards becoming productive citizens, are young and lack maturity and critical thinking skills. In this… >>>

Just as in “real life” there are employees who are “apple polishers,” and “center stagers.” And of course, there are employees that turn in assignments late, don’t adhere to deadlines as well as those employees that are inattentive. This training identifies what exists in the workplace only in different terms. These types of personalities and well-established and anticipated traits should be part of the class/course introduction. To that end, a continuous emphasis on these disruptive characteristics requires emphasis at scheduled and unscheduled intervals during the course. Although the approaches cited to curtailing these behaviors are well-established, it is also necessary… >>>

The class or course should begin with a robust sense of organization speckled with a light-hearted sense of purpose and expectations. During this introduction the issue of basic ground rules should be conveyed such as attendance, assignments being completed on time, class participation, individual participation, individual responsibilities and responsibilities to one another. This does not have to heavy – it can be done while changing gears and shifting into related course material while introducing yourself to the class and sharing your own experiences. This initial class meeting should not be concluded without discussing consequences. At the same time, emphasis should… >>>

Instructors have to have a grasp on what motivates their students at the core of their purpose as well as to stay enrolled in the program. Before any instructor is going to be successful in appealing to their student’s motivation, the instructor has to demonstrate their own motivation. This motivation should focus on their own enthusiasm for their being a leader and the facilitator of the course, class, and content. For an instructor to achieve retention it is necessary to apply motivational techniques that inspire learning the information and the skills the student originally sought to achieve. 
 
Too often… >>>