I've found that a good way to get unfocused students involved is to have everyone do a short oral presentation on the 2dn day of class; nothing big, just a mock letter to an investor, for example. It puts them on notice that they need to participate, and in a manner that progresses them to more difficult assignments.

Without being too obvious, I like to try to engage the students who purposely sit in back, who try to "exist on the margins". I want them to know two things: That their input is expected, and that it is also welcome. I'll do this by getting them involved in a stream of questioning that might usually involve the same group of "answerers".

I demonstrate to students whatever they have to perform. It adds credibility and it gives students chances to see the big picture.

Instructor mistakes should gradually be reduced with preperation and years of experience. Scott H.

Utilizing a successful and applicable ice breaker the first day of class can significantly increase students' interest and investment in the course and their peers. Does anyone have any unique or successful ice breakers that you use the first class?

I teach general education courses which are vital components of the students' well-rounded education. Unfortunately, the students don't see it that way. The problem students that I have are generally the ones who don't see the value of these general education courses and how they are beneficial to their overall careers. They come to class only because it is required and put in the minimal amount of effort to pass the class. The challenge is making the material relevant to these students. In order to engage these students, I try to incorporate their specific career interests and programs into the general education material (i.e. a mock trial for paralegal students that demonstrates the structure for writing an essay).

I believe that when an instructor spends valuable class time to talk about his/her personal problems he/she is being unprofessional & losing sight of why the students are here for.

I believe it is very important to keep everything documented when dealing with a challenging student because it may support/help the instructor in case of a “conflict”

In my opinion when an instructor “spells out” what is expected and required of students at the beginning of the class it reinforces his/her expectations for the class as a whole.

I really think that having a written note for late or missing assignments on a syllabus shows that the instructor is “serious” about the course’s work & its content.

The mistake an instructor often makes is not rearching completely the material they want to present. One suggestion is to make an outline of your presentation and try to anticipate questions your students may ask. Another idea is to write a brief quiz on the topic and ask the students to complete as an in class learning exercise. You may be able to identify areas that may be to be revisited or further explained.

I have had many students who would like to ask questions away from the topic at hand. They usually will try to bring in their own life experiences which have nothing to do with the material being presented. You just simply tell that student that we appreciate your input but for this class can we please get back to our topic.

Most adult learners are most likely to have had a learning disability identified by this stage in their career. Recognize that the average attention span is about 15 minutes. Change your method of presentation frequently and maybe ask that particular student a question on material previously covered to help keep that students attention.

Identifying certain behaviors of students can help you intervene quickly and directly to the challenge presented to the instructor. If you explain your goals and objectives in a firm, clear and concise manner you may achieve a level of acceptance from your class.

One way I do that is to talk about a contemporary problem that is in the news...it gets the student to think about what they hear in the news and it also keeps me in tune with their mindset as I go forward.

Objective tests tend to increase the chances of this happening. I try to use short answer and an example in my quizzes and tests

This happens each class I teach, after a couple of weeks I suggest tot he student that he/she may be affecting others who want to speak in class but are not having a chance because of them

I like the use of different colored paper when creating the course direction.

I always tell my students on the first day of class my academic credentials and my experiences. I feel that students should know their Instructors experience in their fields of expertise.

One of the ways that I have noticed some Instructors use in college is to use 2 tests in testing, each one with the questions arranged in a different order. That way students cannot look at another student's test next to them for answers.