What are some strategies you use to help get course buy in from your students?

What are some methods you use to get students excited about your course?

What are some methods you use to get students excited about your course?

What are some methods you use to get students excited about your course?

class prep and not trying to coverup my obvious screwups. students will see right through.

i put everything up for class discussion. we need the team environment.

most challenging are fresh out of highschool. i apply most strategies you have mentioned.

a non fake up beat discussion on the benefits of listening geared to the ultimate goal.

I have a very firm no late work policy with my culinary arts students. They are given the assignments weeks in advance, and I even offer to proof and "pre-grade" or give feedback on how they could improve. I offer this "free of charge" as an incentive to turn in quality work on time. I explain that my boss does not accept late work and that neither will I. I always relate it to the "real world" and let them know I am doing them a dis-service if I take late work. What do you think? Too harsh?

It can be a security risk to share too much personal information with students. If a student fails and blames the teacher they may use the personal information to strike out at the teacher.

I have found that sometimes students blame the teacher for their performance challenges. You didn't tell me that.; You ended class early.; etc.

I have a student who asks non-ending questions. This student is a habitual absentee who wants answers now in the middle of the lecture. I told her that she needs to wait until I am at a resting point to allow for questions, but she insists she does not understand the material. I instructed her the importance of attendance and reading the chapters to increase her understanding. What else can I do to improve this situation? -Alyce Dexter

Are we really in control of our time when in day to day situations, I'm faced with helping students that come to me with different problems that sometimes NEED immediate response? I find this very difficult to believe. I feel that if you are to do your job correctly, you need to solve problems as they occur.

Because of past problems with cheating, I make three versions of my exams. I still suspect cheating though. I have three girls that sit together who are constantly disruptive, even during exams. I caught a couple of them whispering during the last exam and just said "quiet please." Is there a better way to handle a situation like this?

I assign a major presentation at the end of my classes and create the groups strategically. I break up the cliques and best friends in order to ensure each group is diverse in comfort, abilities, etc. One thing I ask them to do at the end is do a peer critique. I obviously monitor them throughout the process and can pick out who is doing the most work, who is contributing the least, but when they do the peer critiques, they will all say that they had a positive experience and everyone pulled their weight, when in fact, they haven't. I'm not trying to get them to tattle on one another, as I ask them very reflective questions (strengths, areas of improvement, etc.) but I would like them to feel comfortable giving constructive criticism to their team members and really assess their contributions. Their grades are not based off of their peer critique. In other words, just because they say a team member didn't contribute, that person doesn't automatically get a failing grade. Any suggestions on how to get more thoughtful peer critiques?

Thankfully I have had very, few type A personality, angry students. They are the students who become angry when they don't get the perfect grade on an exam or project. They don't blame you. They blame themselves and make sure everyone else feels their frustration and disappointment. Currently, I have this student. The first incidence was the second class period. He took the same quiz that everyone else took. Afterwards, he punished us all for his failing grade eventhough I hadn't graded the exams, yet. His pouting, sideways comments and overall energy vampirism was enough. After class, I took him aside. Expalin what inappropriate, unprofessional behavior he displayed and firmly stated that if he decided to ever act that way in class, I would propmtly ask him to leave. It has been four class periods since and we have had a few outburst. Each time I take him aside and remind him how inappropriate and unprofessional he is behaving.

While I have no experience with this virtual curency technique, we have discussed this approach with respect to the barrage of emails that seem to plague the workplace, each mark 'urgent'. Seriocity, Inc.,(http://www.seriosity.com/home.html), has implemented this as an add-on to MS Outlook. The user may attach any number of 'Serios' to their email to get your attention. Of course, one has only a limited amount of serios, so opportunity costs must be considered; not every mail can be given highest priority. An interesting twist is that you earn Serios by replying to a message.

What can I do to include inattentive students to a discussion?

What are some methods to get students motivated about the subject?

I could really relate to this concept of immediacy:) I get so wrapped up in the concept of getting everything done all at once, that I can drive myself crazy at times (as well as everyone else around me). I do end up making mistakes and not doing as good of a job as I normally would have if I scheduled these events into their own time allottments. Has anyone had this experience before? Laurie