It is always a good idea not only tell the students what will be done, but also show them.

By introducing yourself to the students and having the students introduce themselves, it breaks the ice for them and as well as for the instructor.

It's good for the instructor to arrive for class early, start the class on time and have all necessary materials ready and organized.

Being a cheerleader to the students is a great way to motivate them. Not only are we thelr cheerleader, we are their coach too.

When using electronic curriculum and presentation it is wise to make certain all is in working order just prior to class start time. It may have worked fine the night before, but it may not work at all in the morning. Have a back-up plan if the electronic version goes down. Keep one set of all electronic material available on paper just in case. Be aware of varying levels of apprehension towards electronic curriculum with older students. Show enthusiasm and have their peers assist them to establish more group cohesion. If some prefer to take notes on paper, let them. We are here to learn and if their learning style is based on note taking via paper, let them be, but show the value of electronic notes. Show them all the various formats for electronic submissions of labs, homework, etc. Do it slowly, as a group and repeat often when a term starts.

I believe that education should be available to all. This is why I already implement similar measures in my class. I make sure I am addressing the students in a variety of ways so that everyone can be reached.

I feel discussion is all together better than lecturing anyways. In fact why does the lecture system even exist? How many lectures do you remember compared to discussions you have had?

How do you simplify a complex topic like the complex art movements that I require my students to understand? At what point is there to much simplification that the concept no longer reflects the reality?

My Class has four students. A group project is not effective. How can I counter this?

It can be hard at time to get all students involved in active learning.

I believe classroom engagement is very important in your everyday class lecture. You have to be organized and prepared for every class lecture or you can lose your class fast .Your students will not be engaged and fall out of interest with the course and possibly drop from the course. Then you will have a retention problem on your hands which will be no good.That's why classroom engagement is a vital piece to the instructor if he or she wants to have a successful learning environment.

How transparent should an instructor be with their pedagogies? Should these be listed or posted for the students to view from the first day of class or should students see each instructor's pedagogy develop in front of them intuitively?

Gary, Since we are on 5 week terms and we have 4 hour classes, do you think it is wise to give homework on the first day of class? I like to give it but the students always reply with a remark that I am the only instructor giving homework on the first day. Usually, it is a simple assignment but I always feel like a bad guy...any advice?

On your introduction among other things you probably want students to get a sense of your qualifications for teaching the course, how formal/informal you want to be, and how available you will be to the students

Teaching in the dental technical field the best activity that I have used was to make a model of the human teeth and have students paint various restoration on the model's teeth. The painting assisted them in understanding what the various materials should look like in the mouth. The second step to this activity was to then swap models with a fellow classmate and chart the findings of that model. This taught the student how to read a dental chart for the patient that was present in their dental chair without even looking in their mouth. It reinforced the visual information and how to convert it to a chart.

I feel that student introduction helps us get to know our students not only informationally but also if they are outgoing or shy, whether they enjoy contributing towards class or are more reserved and prefer to remain quiet. This helps me as an instructor prepare on how to involve and include the entire class in discussions and activities from day one.

I'd like to address how important I feel the teaching environment is. I know myself if a room is cluttered or unkempt I do not concentrate as well. Other things that should be monitored are the lighting and the temperature of the room. These things are as important for staying focused as are a good nights rest. I like to reevaluate my room for clutter and cleanliness at least once per day. If I notice a student adjusting looking like they are getting tired the first thing I think of is whether the heat in the classroom is too high. If a student appears to be squinting to see a powerpoint perhaps the lighting needs adjustment. In order for our students to absorb information the topic presentation should be the only thing on their mind. Atmosphere control can assist with this concern.

What if your students are overwelmed with the topic and cant seem to comprehend the material.

What has been some good ideas for group projects for esthetics.

How do you help someone with working memory?