When I prepare for a new class, I do my best to read the material, take a look at the power points and take my time on the prep if I have the time to do so, I cannot be unprepared, if I am unprepared then I feel that I will not only let my studnets down but also myself. This way if I am prepared then I know what I am doing and I let my studnets believe I know what I am doing even if I don't, and I never let them know that it is the first time I have ever taught that particular class.

I have found that talking with a fellow instructor or friend tends to diffuse many issues thereby alleviating the stress. I would agree, it works.

From a health perspective, stress can cause a person to over eat thereby becoming obese or the opposite would be to have an individual resort to smoking to aleviate his/her stress. Either way, a person can develop cancer or heart disease. Not a pretty picture.

I agree, if I may be of help to a fellow instructor, I would gladly provide to them my learning plans, sylabbi and lecture notes as some instructors have done for me. Lastly, prior to instructing from a new edition, I automatically request from the vendor any/all teaching materials that may come along with that particular book. Quick, concise and to the point. Isn't life great???

When I encounter many daily obstacles that are ever present, I must always be aware of the fact that I am ultimately in control of my time and energies. Many people want a piece of my time and I need to prudently pick and choose and prioritize my day(s). It is too easy to get caught up into others needs and wants.

I think every class has a center stage student. The strategies listed for this group was very informative. I would have never thought of assigning a student as an observer but, after reading this information I will now.

So often with students if the foundation for expectations and requirements aren't discussed on day one, this can cause a problem. I've found that by informing my students on what's expected and required of them with no room for excuses is both benefical to me and to them.

I find that in terms of time management it is difficult to schedule some of the coping mechanisms. For instance, after a day of teaching I'm too tired to go to a health club, and usually need a nap. Sometimes taking a nap interfere with my sleeping patterns. Any ideas for this double conflict?

How do I control the class learning environment during a time where as a class they are covering an assignment together and the Dominant student takes over with questions and also answers. Without being rude myself to this student how do I get a handle on that?

Often times you can get stressed out about stressing out! By creating a list of stressers and categorizing them into those that can be eliminated, reduced, and to cope with those that can't be eliminated / reduced it helps make the task at hand more achievable. Have you used this method yet? If so, what are some of the results? If not, how are you planning to implement or if not interested, why are you not going to use this method?

Living in a populated area and the school being in one too can lead to a stressful situation. If time allows, it would be ideal to come in early to beat "rush hour" traffic for a morning or evening class. I have found this useful and even if the school isn't open in the morning, being in the area and getting breakfast can help calm the situation. Have you experienced commute stress? Have you set-up guidelines with your students in case you are late? If so, or if you don't but might do in the future, what are your guidelines?

With the amount of adjunct instructors it is interesting that there is not a concerted effort to have a "how-to" guide for lecture prep and this has been a very interesting lesson. I plan on sharing these strategies with new hires. By trying to establish a cultures of sharing, using existing resources by publishers, using templates, creating sources that can be used over and over, etc. it will help streamline the lecture prep process. Have you ever use publisher resources before? If so, how do students enjoy them? Do they wish that they included more of your expertise then that from a book?

In this day and age it seems that we gravitate to immediacy. Outside of school, if we receive a text message it is expected to be responded to right away. This translates to students wanting to know their grades right away, responding to emails right away, etc. Then we as instructors often place the obstacle of immediacy as part of this culture. In addition to the ideas mentioned, to achieve a healthy balance it would be good to set the expectations of student by clearly explaining how fast you will respond to email (e.g. within 48 hours) and how fast you will grade assignments (e.g. within 1 week of turning in, unless a student hands it in late then it is up to my discretion). What are some suggestions that you have found useful? Are the two I suggested useful to your situation and why/why not?

It is very important that students engage with themselves as well as with the instructor.

I am a massage therapy instructor at a health care college. We are very in depth in the anatomy courses to meet the criteria that the college demands. How do I help the students realize the relevance of in depth anatomy training that might not actually help them reach their career goals?

It is interesting that you state that the majority of "angry" students are male...do you think there are also "angry" females but it is displayed in a different behavior?

Regarding first impressions, I agree that explaining the course and my expectations the frist day are a critical part of managing the class/lab. The students need to know there are rules that must be followed in the kitchen-how to safely walk with a knife in the kitchen for example. Even handwashing needs to be emphaized as they may becaome distracted with a time or temperature issue. It is important they understand how the grading system (Rubrics) works. And they need to know they have responsiblities: cleaning, homework, being respectful and professional as well as being on time. The fewer surprises the better the chances are for learning and productivity.

Some schools give certain number of hours of class preparation and departmental work.In that time, it is impossible for the instructor to prepare for the class- reference, making power points,preparing question banks, preparation for lab demonsrations,preparation for hospital clinicals, evaluations, item analysis,tutoring etc,. Ultimately the instructor has to do lots of home-work, losing his/her personal or family time.

Cheating can be avoided by by strict instructions,by placing the students far from each other and also by changing set of questions.

It is challenging task for the teacher. Some students are not co-operative in the class, they are the first persons to talk about teacher with others or complaining to higher authorities.