Tremayne Simpson

Jim, I agree. If student feel comfortable to provide feedback during the course, then there should not be any "surprises" when an instructor reviews the final course survey. Tremayne Simpson

vera, This sounds like an effective method for enabling students to provide their feedback. By providing them time each week, you are able address any potential issues quickly, instead of waiting until the final course surveys. Tremayne Simpson

Steven, Just curious...does your institution use an actual "school bell" system? Tremayne Simpson

Kathryn, These are excellent methods for appropriately documenting your lesson plans. I especially like the idea of having a "binder", in cases where there is technical difficulty, it is a good idea to have printed copies of lecture notes and Power Points. Tremayne Simpson

Veronika, It is important to "priortize" course content and ensure that the most important topics are discussed during the lecture. Prioritizing course content is usually a difficult concept for most instructors, because we tend to feel that all material is important. The less important material can still be delivered, just in different formats, such as: required readings, assignments and collaborative activities. Tremayne Simpson

Kathryn, Do you have a student portal? If so, I would suggest that you add mandatory reading assignments and set-up a discussion board that enables the students to discuss the topic. That will "free-up" more class time and you will be able to assess your student's comprehension of the material based on their responses in the discussion board. Tremayne Simpson

Kelly, Excellent point. In many cases, students at the post secondary education level have negative perceptions, in regards to requesting assistance or asking questions. Tremayne Simpson

Dennis, These sound like excellent time management activities. In addition, referring back to the activities for your tests, makes it important for students to attend each class session. Tremayne Simpson

vera, Excellent point. A simple change in seating arrangement, can assist in engaging students during lecture. I have elected to use the "round-table" format as well, and I was able to see a positive change in the amount of student participation. Tremayne Simpson

Tracy, Collaborative activities can serve as powerful tools, for "non-graded assessment". "Non-graded assessments" refer to activities, that are not generally graded, however they give the instructor an idea of how well the students are able to comprehend and apply the material. Tremayne Simpson