I am preparing to teach for the first time and would appreciate some examples of “ice breakers” for the first day of class. I am particularly interested in ways to get the students talking and comfortable with each other and the class environment.

I found several discussions in this area interesting, especially the discussions about grading to employer's expectations and simplifying course content. I have found it useful to talk to employers to reinforce techniques and projects and development of skill sets in the classroom. It has been my observation that students "buy into" the employment expectations almost all the time. Developing projects and activities and assessments that develop and sharpen those skills is the key to a successful classroom.

I am a new instructor and I am looking for advice and or comments on being a motivator and not becoming a “friend” or crossing the line and fraternizing with a student. Good or bad examples of past experiences would be appreciated.

My classroom consits of 40 students in a trade school. They come to the class with varying levels of experience and aptitude for the trade. My difficulty lies in teaching to the "middle" student and still give the appropriate attention to the lower and upper levels of the class. Any suggestions?

Sometimes students can be intimidated with projects and lessons that demand critical thinking skills and a more flexible range of responses. To ease this transition, it helps to pose open-ended questions that do not require a mandatory written response. The same questions can be re-introduced at different intervals so that students can add to their responses with new material that is learned. It's important to be mindful of students who are craving a more intellectual experience.

Once the lecture has been planned, there are many techniques that can be used to ensure that students gain the maximum benifit. Get students to think, write and share their thinking with other students. Use of Multimedia to bring varitet to using different teaching methods. Begin with a summary of last week's lecture and an oveview of this week's, establishing a clear link between the two.

We have a situation where we divide a class into two subgroups. We put one half in the kitchen and the other half into the dining room,and then rotate the two subgroups after a period of time. We then have the students perform as if they were in a restaurant situation, using students as guests. The issue we find difficult to deal with is the food critiquing. The students eventually turn it into "over"- critiquing and the situation turns into "mine was better than yours." It seems like the learning experience disappears at this point. Any thoughts?

I would like to know how not to be nervous when I go into a classroom on the first day.

If a student never learned Phonics it is very differicult for them to leared thru the spoken word. there fore this student learn best thru the written word.

It's normal to feel nervous on the first day of a new class - the best way to combat it is to prepare, prepare, prepare! 1. Visit your classroom ahead of time - Is it big enough; does it have the technology you need; how can you arrange the seating; can everyone see the board? 2. Check on textbooks and resources: make sure books have arrived in the bookstore; double check library reserves and know the process for students to access them. 3. Find out how to use the technology you'll need: course management systems and classroom equipment. 4. Talk with faculty who have taught the course before. Find out what worked and also potential pitfalls. What can you expect your students to know already about the subject? What's a reasonable work load? 5. Have a detailed plan for the first session. The first meeting sets the tone for the rest of your class. Plan accordingly: * Arrive early and greet your students * Introduce yourself and give your background. Tell why you are interested in your subject matter * Write your name, the course name and number on the board so students know immediately if they are in the wrong place * Get to know your students and let them get to know each other. Use icebreakers. Establishing a friendly rapport with students helps set the stage to encourage active participation throughout the semester *Take time to go over the syllabus, introduce the course, and establish common goals and expectations. Let them know the kinds of work they'll be doing - provide examples and demonstrations of the output you expect from them. Spend time in the first session to explain fully how the course will run. Make sure you allow time for questions and to clarify expectations. * Make sure you give information to and get information from students. Why are they taking the course; what do they hope to get out of it; what are their expectations for the course; what is their current background knowledge of the course material; what are some personal interests/hobbies. * Let students know how they can contact you and when you are available. * Explain why and how the course is relevant to their lives. Make connections to real-life examples and students' experiences. * Remember that students are nervous on the first day, too - spend the first day focusing on them: what they want and need to know, answering questions about assignments and expectations, explaining ways to be successful in your course, and setting a friendly tone in the class.

As the Instructor, you have tremendous control over what your students learn, how they learn it, and most importantly, how they demonstrate their knowledge. Planning will give you the flexibility to adjust your lesson plans to the time you have available and will make it easier for you to accomplish your goals for student learning.

I tend to talk to fast and use sloppy diction.

HOW DO YOU GRADE NEW STUDENTS LAB GRADES?

If I give an essay type question to my class, I feel like I will have a hard time grading them. I think the course helped me in realizing that I need to set specific parameters and goals to get the proper results. Im still a little apprehensive about administering this kind of test. Is any one else?

HOW DO YOU TEACH DIFFERENT STUDENTS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES

I would think that if you give your students to many quizes you will start to lose their attention. My question would be is how often should you consider giving them a quiz?

I feel frustrated delivering the vast amount of material in a short period of time while still trying to obtain the highest level of learning possible. Is this feeling being observed by anyone else?

I think that Modeling, Managing, and Motivating students are key elements to having successful graduates. "Nine-tenths of educations is encouragement." from Educator's Book of Quotes - Anatole France.

It will be difficult for me to get to know my students in the clinical setting in the beginning. it will require strong effort on my part. I will keep short notes on each student as I go for reference to myself.

Need helpful suggestions on understanding objectives and goals. I am learning the importance of being prepared as I see the students "testing"me.