Last week I taught my very first ever class. I have a pretty large class 31 students and my original plan was to go over course documents with a Q & A period and then move right into course content. This plan was a little side tracked by missing textbooks for the entire class and I lost nearly an hour of lecture time. I tried to remain positive and let my students know that by being flexible and creative we can as a collective group still get everything accomplished. That almost happened but I still ended up with an entire chapter that did not get lectured on. I adjusted my course content schedule to the benefit of the students in this case but am now worried that they will always expect adjustments that give them more time to complete a task and not require some degree of self study. Should I have done this differently?

Beginning each class with a brief, positive, student-oriented prologue may make the critical difference in student behavior. The trials of the day may have students jangled, angry, upset. Begin class on a positive, supportive note and it will make a difference.

Has anyone ever experienced a classroom that was filled with multiple disruptions within the same time period? This would probably be a nightmare scenario to deal with; however, I wonder if the lessons learned throughout this module could help diffuse the situation. As we were taught, we must be proactive with the discipline when it comes to one problem student, but what if you have several of them in the same class? At this point, should you stop the entire class and speak to them as a group or individually. Worst case scenario, you are forced to finish the class early because you simply can't handle the stress from being a "parent" instead of the "teacher."

I will be teaching my first course. I have trouble remembering names. In a large class, what is a good way to imprint students names in my memory?

What are some good study tips for adult learners?

What is a student becomes hostile after you send them home?

How would you handle a student that thinks they know everything?

What are some methods you use in your class for breaking down subject matter?

What are some of the ways that an instructor can create healthy rapport.

How do you best handle a student that consistently makes negative comments out loud in class?

I will make my job easier by eliminating things that stress me out. Starting today.

When my students do not turn their homework in on time stress me out. Because I have to go back and make another exam for the student to take.

It is good to have a tragedy for test-taking. I like to do multiple choice and true and false and maybe a minimum of 20 questions that make it easier to grade.

It is very important to manage your time and do not procrastinate you could fall short if this happens.

The Guide method is a great balance between the Controlling model and that of the Buddy model. The Guide method is what prompts students to take a class that a particular professor is teaching, irrespective of the subject matter since they learn from that professor and feel respected in the classroom.

I have found out that using eye contact in conjunction with being silent for a few seconds during lecture gets the adult learner (who is acting off or having a side conversation)back on track and focused on the lecture.

The four styles of classroom management are very informative, I find that each class that I have taught has a different personality. I realize that I as the instructor must be flexible and willing to adapt and vary my classroom management style in order for the students to obtain the best learning experience possible. Vernise Walker

I always go over the syllabus the first class period to let the students know the course requirement, rules and grading scale. It also gives the student a chance to ask questions about the course. Students can also refer back to the syllabus when they have concerns.

This just happened: I could not find the quiz paper of a student that I know was in class during the quiz. It is possible that she did not turn it in so she could later blame me for "losing her test" and demanding that she has the opportunity to retake the quiz. If that happens, how should I respond? Normally, I have the students hand me the test paper as they exit, so I don't know how I missed collecting her's in that fashion.

Many people experience an abundance of stress because they take on too much. For instance, if you have a full-time stressful job and are stressed about finances, then maybe it's not the right time to have a baby, or get a dog, or accept a new job with a longer commute. There are certain things in our lives that are CHOICES. Before we do anything, we should stop and think about whether we can realistically handle it. Also, we much learn to say NO when people ask us to do things that we know we cannot handle. In summary, if we are able to control certain things that enter our lives, we should do so in order to avoid stress.