Create a positive environment is the key in my experience.

With limited class time, are there some ways we can streamline the introduction/ overview/ requirements portion of day 1? Or is that a bad idea?

How have you found the library useful in developing technical, professional, or personal skills? Has there been a particular book or article that you've found useful? And... shameless plug: Your school's library can help you to develop professional / teaching skills. Libraries purchase books, ebooks, and databases about teaching. Ask your local librarian for details.

I would like to know or if teachers subscribe to handing out bonus/extra credit projects. This has been a real question for me. I am not sure if this is something that should be on the sylabus at the beginning of the class or given to individual students to bring up their grade. It is a question that is faced in grading and I would like to know how teachers handle it. josh

Some times there are students, who take your gentle and polite behavior for granted. how do we effectively deal with this problem with out hurting them?especially when they are argumentative and say they are also grown people?

I am a very upbeat person and tend to try to keep my students on the optimistic side of things. When they start to complain about how much home work they have, I remind them that in x-amount of weeks it will be all over, and they will be that much closer to graduation and into their careers. I also remind them that without practicing by doing homework, they might not retain the knowledge necessary to compete for their jobs. Some students appreciate this motivation, others find me too "cheery" I have trouble finding a mid-point.

I use every quarter break to vigerously prep my upcoming courses right down the ppt lectures, quizzes and exams, syllabi, study guides, in class assignments and homework. I worked harder during break week than any other time during the quarter yet I can't tell you how relaxed and less stressful I feel during the quarter itsself. Often times I show up 5 minutes before my class, say hello to colleagues who are frantically working up an assignment or exam, go into my office, take out the information I need for class that day (which I might have prepared weeks earlier) and go to my class feeling refreshed and ready to go. Although I rarely get to enjoy complete time away, I never really feel the stress that many do during the term.

I am interested in learning how instructors vary their teaching styles in one lesson particularly online to reach as many students as possible.

It is very important to know the diversity of the students', because many adults are retuning to college and their needs are different from the younger college students.

I've been teaching for less than a year, but I've found that there are a few activities that have worked for me for every first class meeting so far, so I thought I'd share. 1) I make my syllabus review as interactive as possible. When I want students to focus on particular policies, I ask them to take turns reading these aloud and then I paraphrase them when the students are finished. I ask questions of students to make sure they understand my expectations, objectives, etc. 2) I use an icebreaker that students really seem to like. To begin, students break into pairs and spend 10 minutes interviewing each other about anything they would like to know: program of study, work, family, pets, hobbies, favorite music, food, etc. I ask them to jot down their partners' answers so they can reference these later. Then, we come back together as a class and the pairs take turns introducing each other to the class. I think this activity is particularly effective because it allows every student to establish a friendly connection with at least one other student. Additionally, students who feel shy or who have lower self-esteem aren't made to talk about themselves in front of the entire group. 3) I also use an activity that gets students thinking creatively and critically on the first day. (I teach a first-year composition class.) I break students into groups and tell them they will be doing a little group writing assignment. I give each group a specific audience (toddlers, business professionals, nursing home residents, etc.) and a specific purpose (to inform, entertain, persuade, etc.). Then I tell all groups that their topic is hula hoops, and that they have to create a piece of writing that addresses that audience & purpose. (One example would be: persuade nursing home residents to purchase hula-hoops.) After students have worked together in their groups to write this small piece, they come together and share it with the class. My students have a lot of fun with this. The activity establishes rapport among us, and it also illustrates different kinds of rhetorical effectiveness. So that's my first day. I'm looking forward to learning other methods and activities that I can use to make other class meetings just as effective and meaningful as the first day!

No matter how detailed that I often make my syllabus or assignment, students often have questions. I understand some instructors require their students to sign them to make sure they read them. However, I have heard that students are offended by this. I am curious what you have done to make sure students are clear about your expectations, requirements, and policies?

I am curious to find out what kinds of supplemental materials instructors have developed or acquired for their courses.

Though I may get mostly positive feedback, I always get the occasional one or two students who have issues with the class and/or my instruction. What do you think is the best way to address this? I have heard that this may be happening more now, because students are going through a lot of stress in this struggling economy.

I am a newcomer to this learning system. This is really great material...very helpful. I am also completely new to the forum experience. If there are any tips out there, I'd be greatful if you'd share.

Massage therapy labwork is the epitomy of tactile learning.

Addendums are instructor modifications to the Syllabi.

I'm seeking some advice on how to recover from a rocky start. I was hired to teach a new class for me (and one that includes some new technology) just three short weeks before term. I got sick, got behind, and then life hit with full force! I'm scrambling to keep up, let alone keep ahead. The events happening in my personal life are affecting my ability to plan, prepare, and deliver. What advice can you give me about how to recover in the classroom? In the future, I may be able to use this advice to help a student out as well. Thanks.

I use extra credit to get students to do things that I want them to do. For example, I like discussion assignments (I teach online) posted by Wednesday, but our school has a standard requirement that discussions are due on Thursday. I give students 1 point of extra credit for posting by Wednesday and 2 points for posting by Tuesday. The maximum a student can get in a 12 week quarter is 24 points, which will not change their grades unless they are really teetering on the edge of the next grade. Most students will go for the extra point, though, and I think the earlier postings yield more discussion activity. I do not let students do extra credit at the end of the quarter to bring up a low grade. I don't like to see extra credit as a substitute for learning the required material in a course.

I find that if I always start class with an mini-energizing activity that will reinforce learning objectives for that day, the students get focused and energized! I continue these activities through out the class and am able to create a great learning environment that is fun and condusive to learning.

I've never had a cohort group in my classes, perhaps because I teach general education courses. What are other peoples' experiences with them? Positive? Negative?