make them help you teach if they have a good grasp on the lesson being taught.

make materials so everyone can learn and understand

One of the most frustrating things that I experiance as an instructor is the first day of class. Rarely do all of my students show up for the first day of class. What is the best way to deal with this on the second day of class when they do show up? Obviously they have no idea what is going on, but the rest of the class is ready to dive in and start learning.

If students are talking amoung themselves and you notice the topic slowly moving towards gripping about the school or program and then other students start listening in and adding to the whining, what is the best way to intervene? This is in a lab class where students are allowed to be social with one another as long as they are doing the tasks assigned to them. Also, during open lab time, when no formal class is going on and I am just sitting in to assist students.

I am going to start teaching a computer/paperwork class to students in which some may only be interested in mechanical subjects. I anticipate barriers to be up with this type of student. Anyone have have a similar experience or advice?

I have a number of students who participate very well in class and know the answers, but do very (fairly) poorly on tests. Most are 'older' students. Besides one-on-one time with them, how else can I help? Some even have study partners, unfortunately, neither partner is doing very well on tests. Fairly New Instructor Elise Davidson

Teachers are the mold or stencil that the students will look to for there own sense of what is proper or vulger. The way we act, dress, and talk has a heavy influence on the student.

All humans are students at there core. Our first job as teachers is to awaken parts the students brain. Our second job is to build a direct path to the learning center of the student. Our third job is to send information through the path that the student will retain.

This quarter I have been bombarded with e-mails from one specific student. She is so concerned about understanding the requirements of the class- she e-mails me at least 5 times a day. She asks the same questions every day. I have answered all her questions in multiple ways, directed her to the syllabus, and even directed her to other students for clarification. I have given her alot of encouragement and said not to worry about anything- that we will take one step at a time. I can see that she is just concerned about coming back to school, she has children to take care of and a job to worry about, etc. Does anyone have any advice on how I can alleviate her fears and encourage her? Thanks. Sarah

One thing that I like to do in class is to spend the first 20 minutes of the very first class going over my expectations for the class. My expectations are simple: come to class, do the work, participate and ask for help when you need it. I also ask my students to tell me what they expect from me. I write those things down and make them the rules for the class. The worst thing to do is to "talk down" to adult learners.

As an instructor, how do I get my students to get beyond the race barrier?

I have a particularly difficult cohort of studentd to deal with at this time. They are mostly all adult learners but are acting out in class and generally acting like middle school age kids. We have gotten together as a group of instructors to try to think a ways to deal with them and are struggling to get them to even act respectfully to the instructors let alone each other. Is there anyone who can help with this out of control class?

The best advice I can give is to avoid sheepherding. Everyone learns different subjects at their own pace.

In the career college setting, it can be more difficult for students to get acquainted with one another. Many students have multiple commitments, and there just isn't time for much socializing on campus. I think it's vitally important for students to form friendships with one another. This is an important part of an education, in my view. With respect to retention, I suspect that students who feel more "attached" to their classmates are more likely to persist in their studies. When students study full-time and live on campus, many of these bonds develop without any real effort on the part of the instructor. Not so in the career college world. I'd welcome any thoughts on how instructors can serve as catalysts in this area.

How often have you answered a question by relating an experience you had in your career? And how often have you helped a student see a situation in another way or a more meaningful way by sharing your personal experiences in that same, or a similar, situation. I find that bringing in a personal experience, be it my own or a students, is more powerful than just discussing the situation from a strictly mental viewpoint. Usually, a class will grasp the answer faster, and will become engaged quicker, adding their own thoughts, or bringing up another concern or question, perhaps even deeper than the first. That's when the class becomes especially stimulating for everyone. And, I imagine it helps the students have a chance to envision themselves already involved in their new career. Do you use personal experiences on a similar way with students?

We can spoon-feed content, provide timely feedback, teach with expertise and clarity, evaluate with fair standards, and also share our experiences, but at some point students are responsible for being self-motivators. They come to us with 18+ years of life experience. While I believe a massage certification program can be transformational as it was for me, and is for many students, I'm not sure how to "motivate" those (thankfully few) students who seem to have little idea of why they are in the program and want to skate through with as little effort as possible. My main technique is holding them accountable in the details and in the big picture, but if they have poor attendance to boot, I just feel like I don't have much to work with.

At my school the courses are all offered numerous times throughout the year. Each 8 week session always has students who need to withdraw and then they re-enroll later. This means that I will occasionally have students from the previous instructor in my course from week 6, for example. It makes continuity difficult as an instructor.

I believe that sharing stories about different experiences in your professional life can and does help motivate students to work harder to attain their goal.

Transferring newly acquired skills to actual workplace settings is always a challenge for the teacher. I like to employ as many teaching techniques as I can: groups, large and small; hands on activities; interesting lectures; and field studies where possible. It gives the student a chance to pick up on their own learning skills and also try out new ways to look at a subject.

I always refocus about the third or fourth week of a quarter. A survey works well to not only remind me that students may be loosing their way but that a lesson plan often needs to be tweeked along the path to learning. A survey also helps students put into words what they are struggling with. Sometimes, it is issues at home that are distracting them.