I'm teaching at a school where there is no offices for adjuncts to store books, etc, and I take public transportation at least one way to teach. This next quarter I'll be using three textbooks, so my bags will be heavier than normal. I'm thinking about buying a rolling briefcase to handle the weight of these books + papers, since my shoulders and neck are often not feeling so great at the end of the day. Does anyone have any suggestions for good models to purchase?

When I stared teaching I was very heavyset. Two years ago I lost over 100lbs. Shortly after my weightloss I started experiencing behavior problems with students that I hadn't in 5 previous years of teaching. One of my coworkers suggested it was my new appearance. I look younger, I'm able to dress more stylish (still professionally), and I have a lot more energy. I think that students were seeing me more as a peer rather than an instructor. As a result, I have become more strict on policies and making sure they are written so students don't get the idea that I'm a peer that will give in when they need it.

I personally found this suggestion to be incrediby condescending. This is a tactic I used to use when I worked with developmentally disabled people in a therapeutic setting because they often did not have the cognitive ability to learn social skills. As an adult learner myself, if I had an instructor that did this, I would promptly drop the class because I would feel extremely disrespected as an adult student.

One of the key things that I have found is to understand that you will never please everyone. There will always be a student who isn't happy - so figure out if that is really related to you- if it isn't then it shouldn't be a source of stress- you will never please everyone 100% of the time. It is ok to recognize that people will disagree with you, be upset about something and that you can not control the opinions or actions of others. Realizing this can greatly reduce your stress bubble. Accept responsibility for things that you can own, but if you have no control over it- it's generally not a good idea to stress about it.

it is hard to keep students from being on their cell phones and texting while at externship. Even if there is a hospital policy about no cell phones many students will try to bring them along.

it makes the career of choice for students clearer for them if there are guest speakers or observations at a facility like a hospital so they can see what the job truely requires

it is hard to get students who are angry or don't care to get the work done that is needed as well as act professional

being able to handle with staff of a facility that may be giving you or your students a hard time

Tell me how you feel about allowing students in the learning environment to have their cell phones on as opposed to powered down?

Many of the students in my class complain about the school. I generally try to redirect them to a new topic (this is usually at the beginning, before class has started, or at the end of class). I feel like if I argue with them, it will simply make them more resolute in voicing their feelings about the school. Is this a correct approach to take, or should I do something else?

Many of my students are older than "typical" college students...I am younger than many of them. This can create an interesting situation when behavior necessitates redirecting. I've found that maintaining professionalism at all time is key to earning and keeping the respect of the students. Does anyone else have any suggestions for similar scenarios?

How does everyone manage to fully engage the wide variety of students in their class? I have different ages, cultures, and cognitive abilities in my class. I have tried to ensure that the material is appropriate, and that each student has ample opportunity to voice their opinion or thoughts. It's been difficult to get everyone on board with some classwork though. I'm interested to hear other experiences and methods!

One way to curb the desire and/or opportunity to cheat would be to assign individualized work. You don't have to go to the trouble of individualizing all student work if you set up an assignment that can apply to multiple situations. For example: You want your students to show their progress with proficiency in Excel and Access. You ask them to visit and select a business of interest. Every part of your course lesson plan can be related to the real-world business of choice. An Excel budget set up for a large department store would be different from a budget set up for a barber shop. An Access inventory for a car parts distributor would be quite different from the categories chosen for a grocery store, etc. In this manner you've individualized the work by using projects than can relate to many situations.

The most commmon mistake I see in instructors is that they feel they are superior to the student.

Angery students should be dealt with very carefully in that they can disrupt the entire class.

It is important to identify why the student is a challenge and the addres that area to engage the student in a positive way.

The Syllabus should be articualte and easy to follow for the student to maximize participation within the class

Attendance is by far my biggest challenge. I have a general education class in computer science where classes are 4 hours each for 10 weeks. If a student misses a class it is nearly impossible for them to make up the work. I spend a lot of time in the first class reviewing the syllabus and the importance of being in every class. I spend more time helping them to understand the reliance that society and every workplace has on computers. I use real current examples across many fields including theirs, but it does not always help. The problem is that they are adults with jobs and families and school in most cases comes in 3rd.

I teach sociology and psychology at a career college. These are general education courses required to obtain a degree. Students are often less than enthused to take these courses because they do not see how they will enhance their skills to get a job in the technology field or graphic design, etc. I have tried giving the rationale that these courses teach about general human behavior and the motivations for that behavior. As humans it is important to understand this behavior in their work and personal lives. I have even tried to tie specific examples to their career fields. This is sometimes unsuccessful. I try to get students hooked by using my personality and humor and that sometimes works to get students who were not previously engaged to buy in. The best technique I've found is that when there is a project to be done, I allow students to chose topics they are interested in and apply the course material to those projects. For instance, in a society and technology class, students did a show and tell on a technology and presented examples of how that technology changed over time. I got presentations on things like rope, shoes, hand held video games, and electronic file storage. Not only did students work hard on the project, but the rest of the class was engaged in watching the presentations and asking questions. I find that adult learners need to stretch their own wings but some of the younger students have a more difficult time independently coming up with their own ideas. I think this is because in their K-12 lives (that have just recently ended) they are not encouraged to think for themselves and chose how to apply their knowledge.

Establishing open communications with students so they will understand the importance of finding answers to their questions and hopefully if the need arises to ask for assistance if needed. Students need to know that the instructor will assist or advice, if possible and if they can’t maybe they know someone or some organization who can provide assistance. During the first session while going over the syllabus and class prospectus, I discuss what is expected of them, what they will be doing, why they need the course, what they learn can be used in the real world, hands-on experiences, and goals. Attendance and class participation are encouraged along with code of academic integrity. Understand the courses I teach are five hours long so a lot of information is given in each session along with lab time to complete their assignments. As an instructor, I give my students 10 minute breaks every hour so they can relax and re-group.