i like this approch to teaching.. it makes the student accountable involved and active in the learning process. It is more like a patnership between the learner and the instructor.

To curb cheating in the classroom...I always print 3 different verstions of every test. That way they can't look off of their neighbor's paper.

I find it really useful to take the first 5 minutes of class to help the students transition from the previous part of their day (work, school, travel). We put on a piece of relaxing instrumental music after they are all settled and seated, and I guide them to breathe deeply and to be present in the moment. It really helps!

Has anyone incorporated different colors into their teaching? I had a student do a presentation on color therapy and the other students wanted me to start doing their tests on different color papers.

are make exams effective or does it does it just the students the chance to make a better grade??

I state what I expect at beginning of each class that I teach. If they are late, so many points are taken off. If they miss a test , so many points are taken off and a different version is given as well.

Since our academy does not offer pre- pretest, we find it hard to know how much of an education they have until maybe mid course. However, we offer a pre-test on the material that they will be learning.It's not till later that we learn that some cannot comprehend just the readng or math to say. This makes teaching a little difficult. I do not rush through the material. My quote is "leave no one behind" but sometimes I have no choice when its 2 days later and they still have not gotten the material. I do an early evaluation and have the Program Director involved to help out.

Do you think powerpoint presentations are losing some luster?

I have had such a positive experience, how about you?

I try to get grades back to students as quickly as possible. I sometimes even email their grades to them as long as it is allowed by the school.

When students come into our classroom for the first time, they may feel intimidated, unprepared or even unsure (of the surroundings, the new instructor or new classmates). We often have students from all walks of life, of different ages and educational backgrounds. As an instructor, it is up to us provide an environment that they feel they can learn at ease. Having a plan 'a' and a plan 'b' to customize to the students makes sense as not everyone is created the same. Plan 'b' also helps to bring the off-focus students back in check. I often create Q&A games every few weeks in order to determine the progress of their learning and in so doing, I can see if my teaching methods are on track as well. Every so often, when I have students who are fast learners, I may run out of content; but from now on, I will get ready trays of different products that I can test them as a 'Product ID' evaluation. This will in turn, help reinforce the mateial they have been taught in class.

This is an interesting module. I recently had a class, where due to my own experience, I wanted to avoid overwhelming the students. My approach was in two parts. First, I copied the format of another instructor for a previous class; this included the assignments and quiz and test schedule. Second, I used the quiz and test items from the publishers accompanying test bank. I was careful to use a combination of easy, moderate, and one difficult question for every quiz and test. In spite of the efforts, the students complained that the assignments required far more time than any other class and the tests were too hard. Anyone have any thoughts they can share in my approach to classes?

Teaching IT, Is it better to be a Learn By Doing Instructor or would another Teaching Style be More Successful?? Is the CourseName a Descriptor for the type of Successful Instructor???

I have to admit i think power points can be a little boring at times. I don't use it. I use the white board, handouts and student interaction.

So funny..Since I started taken students on field trips, they use they that word as a way of saying we need a brain break.. and it works..! Field trips for us are really big. It takes at least 3 hours to do one from start to finish. To see their eyes and hear their questions makes it even more exciting for me.

I like all the pointers on the different medias we can use in a classroom. I am especially prone to the white board. I always make sure I have different colored pens to write, highlight, draw or emphasize any particular subject matter. One corner will be used for writing: Subject of the Day Date Timeline The rest of the board will be used during my lecture, to emphasize important topics and also to help out in student spelling, etc. I only write the bullets of what I will be lecturing on, while the class takes notes on what I teach. The white board allows me to draw pictures and illustrations as well. I think a mixture of media is also key to keeping the attention of the students.

I used to be a combination of Drill Sargent and Socratic when I was a trainer, about 20 years ago, in my other line of work. Then when I first started teaching at culinary, I was still somewhat of a Drill Sargent, but as the years went by, I honed myself to teach people in a classroom who were of different age groups, life-styles and with different past experiences. Now I am more of a combination of Socratic and Dead Poets. But at certain times, I think, depending on the situation and the needs, the Drill Sargent comes into play and is effective in situations that require it. Observing other instructors in their classrooms is a very interesting and valuable tool as you see what to do and what not to do. We never stop learning and recording yourself teaching is also a great learning tool.

I find that a lot of students really just hate taking tests? Can you conduct a class without them?

I have a few students who are just 10 times behind the other students. I think a lot of times they feel too dumb or behind to ask a questions. I have told them to come see me after class but have still heard nothing???

Do you have a max number of slides that you think are good for a powerpoint?