Maria Janotta

Discussion Comment

I have found that my 8am class isn't as lively as my night class. To get more student participation, I have found calling on students to answer questions keeps them on their toes. Also, having them get into groups to discuss information and present to the class helps.

Maria Janotta

Discussion Comment

PowerPoints in class

In the class that I teach I have recently incorporated a powerpoint presentation into my lecture for each week. I have found this really does help students grasp the information and accommodate different learning styles. They are listening to me give a lecture but also seeing the information in front of them. I use pictures, colors, different graphs as well and keep the slides to a minimum when it comes to information. This way I do not overwhelm the students.

Maria Janotta

Discussion Comment

Repeating Stress

At our college we run on 12 week quarters which means some weeks are busier than others; therefore, some weeks have more stress than others. I have found that keeping a to-do list that I can save for each quarter to use again really has helped. This way I am reminded by my list of what needs to be done by a certain time each quarter. If the task is that I need to run a certain report and only do this four times a year, the chances of me remembering how to run the list is slim. Therefore, by… >>>

Maria Janotta

Discussion Comment

The age difference

Right now I am teaching a class where the age ranges from 20-62 years old. The older students are able to help bring in life experience to the class and really drive home the message to the younger students about what we are talking about. The younger students are able to help the older students with the technology that we are using in class. There are definitely some differences in how the students react in class because of their age. It does add a very nice dynamic to the class.

Maria Janotta

Discussion Comment

Seating arrangements for the first day of class

As I think back to my college days, one part that always made me nervous for a new class was "where do I sit?" I was always nervous about not knowing anyone and what if they all knew each other. After reading this section I thought they made a great point of arranging people in a seating chart. This can not only help me, the instructor to learn names, but it can also help put the students at ease. They can all be in same boat together by maybe not knowing their neighbor. A seating chart also forces the students… >>>