My students have responded well when I have been able to greet them before the class. Overall human interaction is critical especially with a positive attitude.

I feel you need to learn everything you can from the institution because many students don't open up right away to provide personal info.

As a career changer myself, I have found success in teaching adult learner by acknowledging their skills in other areas. I want them to know that all though they are new to this area of study, their instructor respects their current skills.

how do i motivate students who have absolutely no interest in the subject matter i'm teaching.

sometimes i develop too much of a repport with my students, and they start to treat me more like a peer than an authority figure.

how do i increase my own retention, when i'm teaching a subject matter that i'm losing interest in?

i have some students who are only taking my course because it is a requirement. what are some ways i can get them interested in the subject matter?

Adult students in particular want to see the relevency in everything they do. In part I believe this is because they have experienced situations where they felt like their time was wasted in a meaningless activity. Adult students make a lot of sacrifices to go back to school; child care, work arrangements, borrow large sums of money, etc. As a result they expect a meaningful return on this sacrifice. Relevent activities reinforce why they are here and they see a direct and immediate benefit to making the choice to return to school.

The human factor is critical to Education as a whole, not just retention. Students to feel valued and sense of purpose. If we create an environment that treats them as individuals with respect and concern, retention will be a positive side effect.

After teaching the same course quarter in and quarter out it is very easy to get too comfortable and become complacent. even the jokes have become stale. :0) It is important to continually ask yourself why you teach a concept or skill a certain way and regularly look for a better or different way to achieve the same result. Even though you've taught the course many times, you should prepare as though it's the first time.

My goal in preparation for lessons is to hit as many different learning styles as possible within that lesson. So I will write notes/outline on the board prior to class (visual), then discuss the notes (auditory), show a supporting video (visual/verbal), then create a group activity (interpersonal/physical), then an individual assessment (solitary/intrapersonal). If each lesson encomapsses multiple styles there is a good chance a majority or students will retain some element of the Lesson.

I have several students that really just want to know the answers vs understanding and learning the "why" behind the "what". Particularly before a test. What I teach has day to day applicability to the career path they have chosen. What is a good way to emphasize this point?

Most of the time it's the aniexty that is worse than the act itself of failing, like taking these quizzes and feeling really small, because the question was worded tricky or subjective.

When treating our students as customers, what tips could you give on actively listening?

I alternate lectures between another instuctor. I would like to start lectures with asking about questions to the prior lecture or at least a brief overview, how should I review the information without stepping on the other instructors toes?

Students must be motivated to be in class (intrinsicly). Though the classroom environment is crutial, I am a firm believer that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Your students have to want to come to class...that is where strong instructors are so important. Not just for the material they teach, but the soft-skills and encouragement as well.

There is a question in the first quiz that asks specifically, the desire to get employment, is it an intrinsic or extrinsic motivator or both. Even though the answer is extrinsic in that the job is an extrinsic goal, and not an internal motivator for the person, the question specifically asks about the wanting or the desire of a job and not the job itself. That wanting is an intrinsic motivator, where the job itself is a whole other subject. Extrinsic being that doing the job is the extrinsic motivator for the person, showing off their skills and getting recognition. Interviewing, preparing, or looking for the job is motivated by the intrinsic nature of the person, and wanting to get the job, I believe, is the actual question being asked.

Just a statement is going to be added. When I teach a general physical exam to a medical assistant, I use the students life experiences to crystallize the event into memory!

Our students need the kind of reinforcement that supports their learning, so we should always strive to return any submitted work by the next class meeting.

A wide variety of nmeumonics can be used, but the best ones are often the ones you let the students come up with (if you can avoid the overly racy ones!).