student behavior is very important and can make or break the class and the instruction being taught. handle with extreme care

students who need help in english will have challenges that need to be addressed.

I have questions. Who is qualified to be a guest speaker? Should s/he have graduated from the college in which I am instructing or can s/he be an employee in the field? What kind of education will s/he need? Where do I find this guest speaker? I think having a guest speaker would be beneficial to the course, however, I don't want to bring in someone whose work ethics and opinions aren't in-line with the college Mission and Goals.

New to college students need to have the proper information. Many students have either not been exposed to the college setting or have had a long lapse in education. Providing the proper information may alleviates some of the apprehension connected with college. For example, there is quite a bit of information provided for the blogs we submit.

I have been a teacher for over 10 years and the most common problem I findnwith experienced teachers is thatnthey become complacent. Teaching can become routine over the years, but the instructor can not loose that edge. You must always find a new twist to your presentation to keep it fresh.

I currently have a class, teaching basic math and there are a number of students who are having difficulty grasping basic math concepts (addition, subtraction of fractions, etc). My question is how long do I continue to work with these students and delay the class from moving forward. It appears to be about 6 students out of approximately 18 that are struggling.

I have multicultural classes which presents an obvious challenge. I try to focus on the common thread which unites them in this class and how I portent it is to achieve their individual goals. I try to do as much one on one as possible but that is not always possible. I therefore accentuate as much as possible a common motivation (success) as I can. It has worked out well thus far.

I teach very complex and often dry subject matter. I enjoy giving my students quirky facts that relate to what I am teaching, I.e. A different spin on the subject. My students become more involved when they discover the relevance of the topic at hand.

Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with mean-spirited students who complain behind your back, discount your teaching because they don't think they need the essentials your teaching, and in general like to rock the boat and make themselves more important than anything else in their education? I have an unfortunate feeling that these students are generational and are everywhere.

I had an experience with a student who would always bring there negativity in my classroom how would you deal with this?

I think discussing coping techniques with other experienced instructors is a great way develop your coping skills. If you do not find a method to release stress it will manifest itself in other negative ways. For instance you may become irritable and unapproachable because you are stress out about the lack of teaching support materials; power-point slides etc..

I have found that by reviewing the material thoroughly I often am more relaxed in class and can allow the lecture/discussion to develop in a free form rather than having the class move along a 'railroad' kind of metaphor. By being exceptionally well-prepared the class and I can stop and examine different areas of interest without the sense that the class is an active/passive structure - me the actor and they the passive audience.

I believe it is important to let students know that you take cheating seriously. Diligent students resent cheaters - they are not part of the academic community that a class normally forms. I think that while it would be impossible to absolutely be certain I have eliminated cheating, my clear and reasonable efforts assure good students that their effort is respected and I am doing my best to protect the value of their grade.

I have found that I need to keep in mind that the student and I are in a partnership - they are attending college to better themselves and I am engaged in helping them sharpen their skills and discover hidden talents. This attitude helps me distance myself from a potential personality clash and enables me to see the difficulty from a technical perspective - a puzzle to be solved - rather than as an instructor-student conflict.

I like the idea of presenting real world applications for the knowledge to be mastered in the course. Particularly regarding techniques that the student will polish during the term - their ability to master large chunks of information; their ability to synthesize differing points of view on a controversial topic; and, in my teaching, learning how to manage teamwork for a grade that will reflect those skills.

What is the number of students in a group?

Does it has to a certain number of page?

I have found that by assigning a research project that requires the students to observe in their specific career choice has greatly improved unmotivated/thinking of dropping students to recommit their time and effort to their studies. It gives them “a light at the end of the tunnel” so to speak where they can see what they will be doing once they graduate from the program.

To do lists are great to follow. They keep you on track and they also keep you informed of what you need to do and what you have done. If you decide to delegate, the to-do-list will also be great for communicating with the person you are delegating pieces of the list to. Just remember once you have created the list it needs to be followed and don't overwhelm or overdo then it just defeats the purpose of the list.

As an undergraduate and graduate student, I always made school my priority. My parents could not really contribute financially to my higher education, and as a result, I relied heavily on financial aid, including massive student loans. I did well academically overall and pursued mathematics, which is a subject I am passionate about. I did work part-time as a tutor, lab/teaching assistant, and grader to cover all my books and transportation expenses. It was hard working more than 20 hours on a given week because of school conflicts as I also needed to cover rent and utilities. Nevertheless, my grades and learning the material presented in class usually came first. My adult students are a different story. I understand that they have families of 4 kids who need to be homeschooled, are suffering from the side effects of triple by-pass heart surgery, are getting divorced from an abusive spouse, have been out of school between 6 and 35 years, and work three jobs just to survive. Reality is far from ideal, and I am fully aware of that. Any effort they make to further their education is commendable. Notwithstanding, I can't accommodate them with late assignments on a consistent basis. I also don't consider studying 8 to 10 hours outside of class an unreasonable proposition for a college level math course, which is at best remedial high school material. I also strongly believe that they should seek help from me or an available tutor as soon as they notice a poor grade on a quiz or problem set. But to my dismay, this is only wishful thinking. I tell all my students that math requires patience and dedication; unless you already know the material, it is unlikely that you can prepare well for a midterm the night before. Moreover, most of my students have either failed algebra on multiple tries or barely passed their Prep Math course with a D. With only two exceptions, the better students don't study as hard as they should because they are confident in their abilities, and then they see a decrease in their quiz scores. In turn, all of this stresses me out because program directors want to know why their students are not doing well in my class (which leads to mostly unsuccessful interventions with failing students), the students become angry and frustrated, and I start feeling incompetent as an instructor when only 3 out of 10 students show signs of truly understanding the material. I have been tempted to tell some of these students to reevaluate their choices and reconsider if attending college at this juncture in their lives is really the best idea. I know they are not studying as they should; they barely dedicate a few hours before class to their homework; they expect the allowed calculator will solve rational equations for them without having to know what is going on; and they simply don't assume any responsibility whatsoever for their performance in my class. Unfortunately, I know this might sound discouraging and would affect retention, so I bite my tongue. My department chair is aware of this, and he has told me it's a challenge that originates from our student body. Other than not passing along students from the Prep Math course with a grade below 80% (curve not included), which is something outside my control, I don't know how to minimize this source of stress. I would appreciate any insight.