Why do instructors need to occasionally take time and “REFOCUS” themselves in order to be more effective with their students? It only natural that each of us gets caught up in the routine now and then especially when you get less and less prep time because your assigned other task to “cut cost” at your school during these hard economic times. REFOCUS allows you to set back and refocus on what is important (our students) and how to best reach them. This refocus time help me realize what is important (the student) and what isn’t important. It also helps me reflect on what works the best in the classroom and look at adopting that information in preparing for my other classes.

How can instructors become aware of effective retention strategies for use in their classes? I find that asking students what they like best about the class help me find out what they connected with the most and allows me to figure out how to better connect with the student in the future.

the key for students retention is the first week because if you can make good impact by pulling they're attention and make them to think on they're goals, set the classroom with an easy presentation, that will make them feel good and comfortable.

To be a teacher that is what is giving you the power to change others life. it is great when you can see a student graduates and working, and it is a pleasure to remaind the first day when the student just walk thru the classroom whitout knowledge and kind of lost. that is like, you are his life maker. If you can make them learn!!!!!!

How does an understanding of learner characteristics help in the instructional planning process? It is hard to teach if you don’t understand were the students are starting from. I remember sitting in a class and for an hour wondering what Personal computers had to do with the topic until I realized the teacher was not us PC to refer to personal computer but to politically correct and as an engineering student didn’t understand the teacher because he was speaking a different language from what I was use to.

Teaching, in general, is a very rewarding career. Teaching in Career Schools is both challenging and rewarding. Learners enroll in courses that will prepare them for entry-level jobs in six to 10 months. An an instructor, you have to prepare these learners acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they will use on the job as soon as they complete their courses. I enjoy working with students who are motivated to learn, come to school everyday, and learn the trade/profession. The ultimate enjoyment comes when that student gets a job! For over 30 years now, learners enter my classroom/school, participate in classroom learning activities, graduate, and obtain gainful employment. The most rewarding is when you bring a student from "zero level" to a rewarding job. It has always been a very pleasant experience when a student returns to the school to say, "Thank you for your help, Teacher." Sometimes, the "process" is more difficult than others. The most painful is when you find out a student who has great potential to do well drops out of the class. I wish every student is a positive outcome. It motivates me to do better; it generates a lot of enthusiasm; and it builds the character of people. It validates the fact that TEACHING is the greatest profession!

A student may come into a school with one goal in mind but learning brings about new goals. Instructors should be able to help students move, or reset their goals at each step in the learning process. Josh

Seems like every class has students that either fall behind in the learning process or have external issues that are holding them back. I used to be very cut and dry... "No work on time, results in a bad grade." However, after years into teaching, I find there are so many intricate nuances governing every students' performance. Having empathy and being flexible is hard to allow yourself at first... but try it, it may pay off in the long run!

Instructors need to remember that everyone has a personal life that can and will take priority over what class they are taking. As professionals, we can often learn to put aside our problems and fall into the subject we are delivering. Students are not trianed or do not have the experience to do this and they allow their personal lives to run over their school lives. We must accept this as normal, work with them to some degree to try to help them, and, most importantly, accept the fact that sometimes we just cannot make the world better for all and make due with what we have to work with for the day.

I've been giving awards to students now for about 5 years. An example, Award for Best Game Design Document. I give the requirements for the document and let the students know they must meet the requirements, yet for the students that want to go above and beyond, and award certificate is in their reach. The documents I receive from the students are 90% excellent. I find passive competition works well and it puts no pressure on the students that are not great writers. A list of the Award winners can be seen at davidpinter.com

I'd like to mention all the students I chat with that are new to college. Their main concerns are transitioning to a new environment. Many times housing is one of the biggest problems, and this really effects their school work. I had a student the other day say that she and her roommate had to leave class because they had no place to live and was in the process of trying to get another apartment that was safe (the other one was broken into). This is why you really have to listen to your students, especially the ones that are first time away from home. Bad grades or missing class is not always about the student not caring about your class.

Students even adult students are often excited when you provide small rewards for expected content. For example, although, the students are required to complete all the projects in the lab to pass the course the days that you offer a piece of candy or bag of chips for every project finished are often the most focused and productive. Although not long term motivational tools the students seem to enjoy the treat and don't even realize that they worked 20% harder that day. Even though the money for the treats comes out of my pocket I think it's well worth it. Definetley breaks up the "hum and drum" for many of the students.

As a new instructor I've had the priveledge of sitting in on some classes. One commonality I've noticed is that if students feel comfortable in the program, they make comments. Sometimes it's just for fun, sometimes its just to complain and other times it seems like it just popped into their head and they spit it out. I imagine many of these comments have validity or offer doorways to student perspectives. Addressing some of these comments in private or in front of the class seems a way to build rapport and show that you are listening and engaged with students.

In my classes I come to contact with a diverse student backgrounds and age. Sometimes the gap in ages seems to be a stumbling block to unity in class discussions. How can the content of discussion be narrowed to include different age groups?

One of the best ways to improve as an Instructor is student feedback evaluation. As a new instructor what are some ways to obtain student feedback throughout the course other than direct questioning?

In sales we are taught that in addition to the purchase, it is impportant that there is "value added" to complete the sale. Teaching is like that. The students need more then just a grade, more then just the specific required information, they need to take home with them an additional amount of information consider under the category of value added. This could be career information, job hunting tips, interview skills, management or leadership information and or tips about activities in the region that might be of interest

Real life experiances and stories to back them up is a great aid to students and letting them know we are not perfect.

After we give test we give out advisment forms when students perfom below passing, and this gives them a point to say to themselves that they need to step up and do better

I try to make the class fun by telling stories about life experiances I have had in the feild

After the first week of my class, I start off the next class by asking now how do you look at food and this career now. Then the stories & discussions begin. They are amazed what they have already learned in one week. This keeps the class motavated and wanting to learn more.