I think it important to talk about industry experience to help establish a foundation for your class.

I think it is important to be vigilant for the good of all students.

I have always found small groups help students focus on course material.

I think it is important to assign projects that students can use in their current jobs.

Common mistakes for new instructor having practical experience is being hesitant with his/her teaching abilities. Having a positive attitude in instroducing his/her practical experience will go a long way in establishing rapport with the students and gaining their respect for his/her practical knowledge.

Managing the class while having a disruptive student is one of the most challenging facing an instructor. The instructor should point out that the disruptive student is showing disrespect not only for the instructor, but more important for the other students who are in the class to learn for their futures.

Students who try to "brown nose" or polish the apple student need to understand that such behavior will not increase their grade. They need to understand that they are taking time away from other students, and this is not productive to them or to other students.

You need to engage students at the beginning of the course to ensure that you will have an open and honest communication with all students to maximize their learning in the course. This can be done by dividing up the class and have them introduce each other to discuss what are their expectations of the course.

Teaching technical topics that are constantly advancing in hardware and procedures introduces stress that will always be a consequence. Staying abreast of the subject state-of-the-art is important for any topic. Such stress seems unavoidable and may not be totally negative factor.

:) I had some instructors walk into class and say that, and I will tell you that it is demoralizing from a student's perspective. I also had instructors tell us straight up, "Only one or two of you will make an 'A,'" or "The final grades in here will reflect a bell curve." As an educator, I avoid telling students anything like that. I am a believer in rewarding achievement and not just "giving out good grades" to be a peacemaker. However, I am also a believer that someone should have a fair opportunity to earn the grade he or she chooses. Of course, everyone will not make an "A" or "B," but I emphasize to the students that they can if they apply themselves. I really liked what this module said about not assuming that "well, they're adults" and that mentality. Many of my adult students are not accustomed to adding the burden of schoolwork along with their home and occupational commitments. It takes them a while to get their "feet wet," too, and they deserve a measure of understanding in undertaking what is a very frightening prospect to many of them.

The adults I teach, most of whom are "returning to school" in an effort to improve their lives, really need to see that what they're doing will impact them positively in the future. Whether I am teaching speech, ethics, writing, or history, I try to present situations in which what they are learning will benefit them. As part of the first meeting, I discuss with them their chosen career paths and point out how things we will cover will "tie in," so to speak. Students in the writing courses, especially those students who have not taken an English class in several years, are perhaps the most apprehensive. I emphasize the importance of communication skills, which will benefit them down the road. Students in public speaking class are often very frightened, but we do several sessions of "practice" before the final speech. I think that helps.

Are these really useful and how?

I am having trouble overcoming the problem of time control based on the level of plagiarism I encounter with online students. There is a fundamental disconnect between today's student and true information literacy. I spend far too much time teaching my students how to avoid plagiarism, how to use APA formatting (required by the institutions where I teach), and regrading papers (I allow first-time offenders a second attempt). Does anyone else have this problem? How have you dealt with it?

Writing to do lists is the only way I can function.

I have just finished a course where I had a VERY confrontational student.These tips helpped

I have come up with medical jeopardy for my students over the subjects covered in class. They get very competive over this.

Any hints

I have had occasions when a student will 'blurt out' something. Unless it requires followup, like a discriminatory remark, I usually ignor it so that I do not shine a light on it and the behavior. That seems to work but are there other, better approaches?

You can make a new "Seating Assignment Chart" right before handing out a test if you think you have a student that is cheating and assign that student to sit right by you.

Having a negative student can bring down the morale for the entire class. Try to make things more upbeat, don't focus on the negativism, steer the class in a different direction.