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These tips were written by McMaster instructors describing solutions, either original or borrowed, that they have found particularly useful in dealing with common teaching situations. We thank all of the contributors for sharing their ideas and experiences.

We are always looking for new teaching/learning problems and ideas for solving them. If you have either an idea that works and that you would like to share and/or a problem for which you would like new solutions, please send it to us at. We'll try to include it in our next update.

  1. Sometimes, I suspect that students do not understand parts of my lectures.

  2. In my seminars, some students don't talk and others monopolize the discussion.
  3. Often when I ask questions in my class, no one volunteers asn answer.
  4. I find it hard to accommodate individual student presentations in a large class.
  5. Suppose you ask a question in class and no one volunteers an answer.
  6. Some of my students do not know how to write an essay.
  7. I want to keep the best students challenged without losing the weaker students entirely.
  8. Course evaluation is often a big waste of time.
  9. Sometimes, I suspect that students do not understand parts of my lectures.
  10. My students don't prepare for seminars, so the student presenter ends up giving a lecture.
  11. Sometimes, I think students are not as involved as they would like to be in the course.
  12. In problem solving sessions or tutorials, some students are able to solve several problems in the time allotted while others may not solve even one.
  13. Some of my students do not know how to write an essay.
  14. How can I use multiple-choice tests for more than just rote recall of particular facts?
  15. Students are required to take my subject, but they can't see a use for it in their discipline.
  16. There is inconsistency in the marks different tutors give to students' assignments and exams.
  17. In my seminars, some students don't talk and others monopolize the discussion.

  18. Sometimes it seems my students have been either bored or frustrated by being given yet another course outline at the start of the term.
  19. When I give problem sets, students often confer so the work they submit is not their own.
  20. My students just write or copy things down rather than listening in order to understand.
  21. With larger classes, I sometimes find it difficult to get to know my students the way I would like.
  22. Sometimes I find it difficult to accommodate small group activities in a large class.
  23. With larger classes, I sometimes find it difficult to gain and keep the students attention.
  24. My introductory class is too large for me to learn all of the students names.
  25. I don't want to use multiple-choice questions but what choice do I have with so many tests and exams to mark?
  26. My classes are so large that it is impossible for me to mark all of the tests and exams.
  27. I would like to get students involved in evaluating their own work.
  28. I worry about talkative students hogging the discussion in my lecture.
  29. Can technology help stimulate discussion between students?
  30. How do I maintain the attention of a large group of students (450+) while at the same time stimulating critical thinking?
  31. My students, even the ones who do well on the exams, don't seem to understand central course concepts. What can I do in my classes to correct this problem?
  32. Some of my students show little interest in, or commitment to, a major course assignment.
  33. Sometimes my explanations in class don't work.
  34. How can I get my students to review last week's lecture before the next class?
  35. My students are panicked about the midterm.
  36. My students mourn the loss of their textbook.
  37. My first year students do not always pay attention to each others' presentations.
  38. How can I encourage my students to extend their learning outside of the classroom, and give them credit for doing so?
  39. Do you really want to know how effective students think your textbook is?

  40. My students find it helpful to learn a difficult concept using a role play or skit in the large class setting
    M
  41. Dealing with challenging students

 
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