when you model behaviors such as being on time, good hygiene, neatness, and getting along with others you are demonstrating soft skills. why are these skills essential for the success of the instructor and students?

I think that opening this door begins with the attitude the instructor sets within his/her class. When receiving a new class ensuring that they trust, respect and feel comfortable with you and your teaching is very important. This doesn't mean that everyone will agree but they will acceptance the guidance and information you are teaching them daily.

I have always incorporated a Learning Styles Questionaire as part of my orientation process when receiving a new class. It is a very important component when creating a lesson plan for my class. I've learned to use Power Points with lecture and an outline component. This ensures all of my students are able to get what they need. Having the students record lecture has been a big plus for me also.

Your learning environment, i.e. class is your domain that you are letting people into so that you can pass on your knowledge. You must be cognizant of the fact that no two people are the same, nor do they learn in the same way. Let yourself be more flexible in your delivery style and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the response by your students.

Teaching a class is like performing on stage, you have spent your entire life perfecting your craft, (art) and now it is time to put it in front of someone that is wanting to receive what you have to give. they are actually paying to watch you "perform". When you make eye contact with a student and you are perfectly confident in your ability to pass on the knowledge that you have, it is noticed right away by the student, the same as a performer on stage is noticed to be a master at their art from the audience. You can tell when they know you know what you are doing, and they tend to respond much more favorably.

On day one I always arrive earlier than normal, about a half hour to forty-five minutes. This additional time allows me to get myself situated since I am returning from vacation. This occurrence happens every three months. I then take the time to study and try to remember the new students names so that when they come into the class I will at least know the name and then I can attach a face to the name. For the students with unusual names I will ask how to pronounce it so I get it correctly. I employ an old memory trick which is to repeat it to myself three times. Generally this commits it to my memory. Many years ago I attended a Dale Carnegie course on human relations and public speaking. The instructor said something which has stuck with me ever since. He said "your name is the sweetest sound you will ever hear". Keeping that in mind I want to get the pronunciation right which I believe demonstrates that I care about them as an individual and not just another warm body to fill the chair. At the appointed time I stand in the doorway and greet the returning students and newbies. I keep it rather informal but do introduce myself as Mister. I feel this is important because I am not their peer and I am attempting to earn their respect right out of the gate. Next the newbies are separated from the continuing students so we can conduct our department orientation. They get a general orientation approximately one week before entry and this provides them specifics about what we do, how we do it and why. During this time I will also inject light humor. I read one time that this is an absolute no no but I find that it lightens the tension and relaxes them. I'd be interested in seeing how others conduct their first day of class as a comparison.

Is there any strategy to help & support adults that are returning to school after years of no studying?

I currently have a student that doesn't grasp concepts in my class. They do not pay attention and are very disorganized. This is my oldest student also. They have poor attendance. I have to constantly stop and repeat myself, which is frustrating for the rest of the class that want to move forward in the material. This student does not take good notes and seems to get lost easily also with simplest of concepts. When I do repeat myself, I feel that the student doesn't listen to me. I have offered proctoring to them, but nothing has come of it. What other type of approach can I try with a student like this?

I believe a syllabus is vital for the students to have, that way they are aware what is expected from them.

What type of questions are better to ask students? and why?

In making my first lesson plans, should I integrate areas within the lecture to stop and do an activity, throw out an idea, etc that would cater to each learning style? How much time should I allot for these types of breaks?

I am recently starting the new semester as a tech instructor, but I am concerned about the first day of course. I want to do some icebreakers with them to get acquainted, especially since I am the newcomer and they have known each other since the start of the program. My biggest concern is unfortunately my age. I am young and I look it, but have been in the field for several years and have the experience needed to teach others. The students in my classes are either in my age group or older! On the first day should I tell them my age or leave it out? Should I 'level' with them a little more and branch out in to more personal interests to make myself seem less foreign?

I'm very new to this teaching gambit and I (as I'm sure others who have been in my shoes) am extremely excited, nervous, dreading, and can't wait for my first class! I am getting everything prepared to the best of my ability and am running through every detail with a fine toothed comb. Of course I am still concerned with the thought of having forgotten something. Any tips and tid bits that may be of help?

I liked the suggestion to allow more time when deal with some learning disabilities. That one simple idea can work with a variety of learning issues, including ones brought about due to a medical condition.

Language barriers can be an unforeseen force that slows down class time and can be difficult to cope with in a career college environment. Many times while trying to deliver career course content the ability to teach above and beyond can be limiting. Some of the ideas presented here can certainly help, especially limiting the number of vocabulary words per class.

It is challenging when working with student groups. This usually presents itself when one member of the group is perceived as doing less work than the others. This can also show up in a smaller group when one member decides to avoid class or even a presentation but still wants the total points allotted for the project.

I generally like the idea of moving around the room to keep the students attention refocused. It does also help with keeping students off of cell phones and other such items.

I'm just starting out in the teaching field and I'm concerned about keeping the students' attention. They're going to be small groups and long class hours (3-4 hours) and keeping the positivity high and the conversation flowing is a big concern for me. Can anyone name some ideas that I could utilize?

By using as many learning styles as possible, there will be more students that can succeed.

It is important to have a well planned firs day in the classroom. Without a well planned outline and being over prepared the class could lose interest.