I am in class now that is challenging and very rewarding. My classroom consisted of a few students that are very intelligent, a few students struggling with the English language, a couple students with learning disabilities that have requested my assistance and a handful of students that are very disrupting to the class. The remaining few students are quiet and getting lost in the chaos. It didn't take long to recognize I needed help. The first quiz scores reinforced the sense of urgency and need for change. Half the class earned 100%, the other half were lucky if they scored 20%. I am a new instructor and have yet to get constructive feedback on my decision to restructure the classroom environment. I carefully paired up students with a partner and asked them to work together as a team. Every few days I changed the teams and solicited honest feedback from everyone. A couple weeks into the course, a death in the family forced me to cancel class the day before a midterm exam. Instead of complaining about the horrible timing of my family emergency, my students made the best of the situation and decided to review for the midterm without an instructor. Every student showed up to class and actively participated in the review session. In addition to their superior teamwork and positive attitude, they enforced my 10 minute break rule and were mindful of not disturbing other classes. However, I did choose to eliminate a few lecture topics in hopes of accomplishing the above results. What are your thoughts regarding my decision? With the little information you have, how would a more experienced instructor have handled this differently? Am I justified in my decision or did I make a rooky mistake?