Classroom Management Tips-2

Part II: Limit Student Confusion

Let's face it, students (and adults for that matter) get frustrated when they do not understand what to do next. Often times for students (and adults for that matter) this frustration leads to discipline problems.

Therefore, it is important for teachers to anticipate and clear up any possible confusion "before" problems arise. Remember, the effective classroom management teacher is pro-active.

One way to limit student confusion is to be consistent. Your class should never be a surprise to your students. For example, I always have my day's agenda and, most importantly, the lesson's objective, clearly posted.

And, I make absolutely certain to go through both at the beginning of every class. Again, I do not think these things should be a surprise to your students.

Your lesson's objective is what you want your students to learn from the lesson...don't you think it would be a good idea to let your students know what it is. :)

Another simple teaching strategy that will greatly reduce student confusion is to always check-for-understanding. Simply ask one or two students (at random) to repeat the directions back to you. You can do this whether you are giving directions for a worksheet or directions on how to quietly walk down the hall. If you check-for-understanding often throughout the lesson you will see less and less student confusion, and therefore, less classroom management problems.

Guidelines for finalizing Management Thesis title

The title for the thesis should be apt and reflect the scope, focus and nature of the work to be carried out by the student. The parameters for approval of the title are as follows:

1. The Title should be contemporary
2. The Title should be precise and effective in meaning
3. The Title should be specific
4. The Title should not be in the nature of an interrogative sentence,
For e.g. “Are Mutual Funds a Profitable Investment Avenue?”
5 The Title should not be like seminar topics. E.g. “Mutual Funds: Issues and prospects”.
6 The Title should not begin with words like “A feasibility study of…..” e.g. “A Feasibility Study of Brand Building”.
7 The Title should appropriately focus on the research intended to be carried out by the student under the guidance of the Faculty Supervisor. For e.g.
a) A study of Strategy Planning of Consumer Segmentation for Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
b) Issues and Challenges in Marketing of Mutual Funds of UTI.
c) An Analysis of Mutual Funds and Determinants of Consumer Preference.
8 The Title should be clearly indicative of the contents of the research work. For e.g.
a. The Determinants of Consumer Buying and Usage Behaviour for Mobile Handsets.
b. A Study of Correlation between Advertising in Yellow Pages and Sales.

Classroom Management Tips - 1

Part I: Increase Student Motivation

Let's start with what classroom management is not.

Classroom management is not about creating elaborate systems of rewards and punishments. Instead, effective classroom management is about keeping all of your students actively involved in all of your lessons.

In this manner the teacher is addressing classroom management issues "before" they arise...the teacher is being pro-active rather than re-active.

However, it is difficult to keep students actively involved if they are bored or uninterested in the topic.

That's why student boredom is one of the two biggest factors contributing to classroom management issues.

And, that is why it is the teacher's job to spark student interest and increase student motivation to learn.

How?

The best way to do this is by making connections between what the students are learning and what is going on in their own lives...in other words,

Find out what is important to them.

“Internet – Privacy Invasion” but before they read I had all the students make a list of things that today's youth does on Internet. After the students generated their lists we then discuss the connections between these things and privacy issues with these things.

The bottom line is, if you can get the students to "want" to learn then everything else becomes much easier.

Another way teachers can go about increasing motivation to learn is with simple critical thinking questions. For example, in a lesson on

Cyber Law, I start the lesson with the following critical thinking

Question:
"Do you think the Internet is being misused?"

This critical thinking question usually turns into a heated discussion and it is at this point that I introduce the topic of Cyber Law. The students are then eager to learn what laws were enforced by the Govt. and why they were imposed.

A third way to increase motivation to learn is with video. Of course, this seems obvious, but many teachers show video at the wrong point in the lesson...they save it for the end.

Video should not be shown at the end of the lesson in an "if you're good we'll get to it" sort of way.

Instead, short video clips should be used at the beginning of lessons to spark student interest and pique curiosity.

Ok, so let's recap. Classroom management issues are directly related to student boredom. Therefore, the teacher needs to increase student motivation to learn.

Three ways teachers can accomplish this are:

1. Make connections between content and the student's own interests.
2. Use critical thinking questions to spark heated discussions.
3. Use of video at the beginning of the lesson to pique interest and curiosity.

Tips to clear Group Discussion (GD)

A group discussion by definition involves speaking before a group of people, this puts in some aspect of public speaking. Let us look at some basic pointers on behavior during the discussion:

1. If you talk in a long winded way in a discussion, the other participants will not be courteous and wait for you to come to the point. So, speak in a concise manner.

2. Address everyone in the group and at the same time do not look at the moderators as they are not a part of the group.

3. Dress formally for the discussion.

4. Use formal language and try to put your point across only if you are very sure about it.

5. While interacting, do not point to a specific participant. Also, do not get personal; try to be objective in your arguments.

Hope you find these tips useful!

Common Interview Questions

PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW
T-20 OF INTERVIEW

1. What are your strong points for this job? What are the areas that need improvement?
2. How did your supervisor on your most recent job evaluate your job performance (If you’ve got work experience)? What were some of the good points & bad points of that rating?
3. Do you prefer working alone or in groups? What kind of people do you find it most difficult to work with? Why?
4. Can you give me an example of your ability to manage or supervise others? In your previous job what kind of pressures did you encounter? What were some of the things about your last job that you found most difficult to do?
5. What special aspects of your education or training have prepared you for this job? What courses in MBA have been of most help in doing your job?
6. What is your long-term employment or career objective? What kind of job do you see yourself holding five years from now?
7. What do you feel you need to develop in terms of skill & knowledge in order to be ready for that opportunity?
8. Why might you be successful in such a job? How does this job fit in with your overall career goals? Who or what in your life would you say influenced you most with your career objectives?
9. What kind of things do you feel most confident in doing? How would you describe yourself as a person? Do you consider yourself a self-starter? If so, explain why (and give examples)
10. Can you describe for me a difficult obstacle you have had to overcome? How did you handle it? How do you feel this experience affected your personality or ability? What do you think are the most important characteristics & abilities a person must possess to become a successful? How do you rate yourself in these areas?
11. In your work experience, what have you done that you consider truly creative? Of your creative accomplishments big or small, at work or home, what gave you the most satisfaction?
12. Do you consider yourself to be thoughtful, analytical or do you usually make up your mind fast? What was your most difficult decision in the last six months? What made it difficult?
13. Tell me specifically what you do in the civic or extra curricular activities in which you participate. (Leading questions in selected areas. i.e. sports, economics, current events, finance.)
14. What are your standards of success in your job? In your position, how would you define doing a good job? On what basis was your definition determined?
15. How would you describe your basic leadership style? Give specific examples of how you practice this?
16. Have you ever done any public or group speaking? Recently? Why? How did it go?
17. What kind of writing have you done? For a group? For an individual? What is the extent of your participation in major reports that have to be written?
18. What has been the highest pressure situation you have been under in recent years? How did you cope with it?
19. Describe your most significant success & failure in the last two years. What do you like to do best? What do you like to do least?
20. How much of your education did you earn? How this has helped you?

- Dress Appropriately If you can’t be bothered to look good and dress right for your interview why should the employer take the time to hire you. What you wear will depend on what industry and what type of job you are applying for. Dress appropriately for the interview. In other words if you are applying for a construction job don’t show up in your three piece suit, but if you are applying for a manager’s job don’t show up in your jeans.
- Be Polite Greet everyone you meet during the interview politely. At the moment these people hold your future in their hands.
- Show up early. Always arrive at least ½ hour early. This gives you time to complete any paper work required before the interview. It also shows you are punctual.
- Leave cell phones behind. Do not bring your pager or cell phone to an interview. If you have it with you be sure to shut it off. There is nothing more annoying to an interviewer than being interrupted.
- Enthusiasm wins. Be enthusiastic. Let your potential employer know how excited you are to get the position.
- Today’s job market is very competitive and the better prepared you are the better your chances are. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be in good shape for your interview.

Management Thesis Guidelines

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A MANAGEMENT THESIS / GRAND PROJECT

A management thesis is a written presentation of the work done by you on a given research topic. It is important to bear in mind that even though the research thesis is submitted only at the end of any given period, in reality it is a culmination of your continuous efforts.
Writing a Research Thesis: The Semester-IV of the MBA Program requires submission of research report to the college. Care should be taken to ensure that the quality of the thesis is of a high standard. General guidelines on writing a research thesis are described below
The first part of the thesis should describe the organization you are working for, the type of activity of the organization and the specific focus of your Thesis. In a generalized sense an ideal research report should cover the following aspects:
1. Cover
2. Title Page
3. Table of Contents
4. Acknowledgements
5. List of Tables & Illustrations
6. Abbreviations
7. Abstract /Summary
8. Introduction- Objectives & Limitations
9. Research Design/ Methodology
10. Review of literature
11. Empirical Analysis
12. Findings and suggestions
13. Conclusions and/or Recommendations
14. Appendices
15. References
16. Glossary

1. Cover: This is the first page of the report. It should contain the title of the report, name(s), of the author(s), name of the organization, if any and the date on which it is submitted. The format of this page is given below and should be adhered to.

A REPORT ON
(Title of the Thesis in CAPITAL LETTERS)




by
(The name of the Student)




(Name of the Organization, if any)

2. Title Page: This page may contain the following information:
a) Title of the thesis (an indication of the subject matter)
b) Name of the author, enrolment no., module & course

A THESIS ON
(Title of the Thesis in CAPITAL LETTERS)




by
(The name of the Student)
(Enrolment No.)





A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of
the requirements of
THE MBA PROGRAM (Class of 2008)
(College Name)

Copies marked list:

3. Table of Contents: The main function of this section is to give the reader an overall view of the report. The main divisions as well as the subdivisions should be listed in sequence with page numbers they are on. It helps the reader locate a particular topic or sub-topic easily.
The charts, diagrams and tables included in the report should be listed separately under a title ‘List of Tables & Illustrations’ with the page numbers. While preparing the table of contents you have to bear in mind the following points:
- Leave a one inch margin to the left, to the right, on the top and at the bottom.
- Write the phrase ‘Table of Contents’ on the top center in CAPITALS.
- Write the number of the item to indicate the sequence of items. After the number, leave three or four spaces and then type the first heading.
- Indent second-order headings by three or four spaces.
- Leave two spaces between main headings and one space between sub-headings.

An example of a Table of Contents is given below. Please note that till ‘Summary’ the pages are numbered in lower case Roman numerals. From ‘Introduction’ onwards Arabic numerals should be used.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments................................... ii
List of Tables……………........................... iii
List of Illustrations………….................... iv
Summary.................................................. v
1. Introduction ......................................... 1
1.1 Objectives and Limitations............... 1
1.2 Methodology....................................... 2
1.3 Findings and conclusions................... 3
2. Literature Survey................................. 5
2.1 ................................................................
2.2 ................................................................
3. ...................................................................10
3.1 ..................................................................
3.2 ..................................................................

4. Acknowledgements: Proper acknowledgement of any help received must be placed on record. There may be a number of persons who might have helped you during the course of the research. Customarily, thanks are due to the following persons in the given order:
a. Head of the Organization b. Organization Guide, if any
c. Faculty Supervisor d. Others

5. List of Tables & Illustrations: A detailed list of the charts or diagrams or illustrations that would be incorporated in the report should be given along with the page numbers.

6. Abbreviations: The abbreviations should be listed in an alphabetical order with the respective expanded forms. e.g.:
PAQ - Position Analysis Questionnaire

7. Abstract or Summary: Summary is the essence of the entire report. The objective of the summary is to provide an overview of the content. A summary should be independent and should stand alone. It is advisable to write it after the report has been written.

8. Introduction – Objectives and Limitations: Introduction should provide the context and scope of the report. It should include the objectives, specifying its limitations, methods of enquiry and collecting data, and main finding / conclusion. This serves as a background to the subject of the report that subsequently follows. The reader should be able to get a fair idea about the research.
9. Research Design/Methodology: This section brings out how the enquiry was carried out, interviews were carried out or if any questionnaire were given. It also looks at how the respondents of the interview were chosen. The data should be presented in an organized and logically sequenced method. Usually it has several sections grouped under different headings and sub-headings. The analysis of the data and description of the activities leading to certain conclusions are contained in this section.

10. Review of the literature: Detailed view of related work did in the past by others.

11. Empirical Analysis: For developing and using analytical skills, the intern should reach to some findings/inferences.

12. Findings and suggestions: once if the findings are over by a research/intern there suggestions should be made for the betterment of enterprise.
The results should be presented as simply as possible. There are a number of ways:
· Tables
· Graphs
· Pie charts
· Bar charts
· Diagrams

13. Conclusions and/or Recommendations: The conclusions and/or recommendations are the most important part of the research that is of interest to the reader. These are to be substantiated by the study done during the research period through the analysis and interpretation of the data gathered. It would be helpful to the reader if alternatives, other than the stated conclusions and/or recommendations are projected.

14. Appendices: The contents of an appendix are essentially those which support or elaborate the matter in the main report. The matter which is not essential to the main findings but related to the main report is generally presented in the appendix. The report should not depend on this. Given below are items, which normally form part of the appendix:
(a) flow charts, (b) the questionnaire, (c) computations, (d) glossary of terms etc.

15. References: In this section all the references should be given in alphabetical order by the author’s last name or, when the author is unknown, by the title of the reference. For instance:
Ages, Warren K., Philip H. Ault, and Edwin Emery. Perspectives on Mass Communication, 2nd ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1992 (for books).
“Time to Call in the Bess” Business Week, July 27 1999, 32-36. (for periodicals). “http://www.harishmorwani.blogspot.com/” (for Websites).

16. Glossary: A glossary is an explanation of the technical words used in the report. If the number of such words is small, they are generally explained in the footnotes.

CHECK LIST
1. Cover
Has the name of the organization been included?
2. Title page
Does it include the: Title?
Author’s name?
Module/course details?
3. Acknowledgements
Have you acknowledged all sources of help?
4. Table of contents
Have the main sections been listed in sequence?
5. List of Tables and Illustrations
Have the charts/ diagrams/ illustrations been included with correct page numbers?
6. Abbreviations
Have all the abbreviations used been listed with the expansions?
7. Abstract or summary
Does it state the main task?
The methods used?
The conclusions reached?
The recommendations made?
8. Introduction
Objectives & Limitations
Does it state the scope of the report?
The limits of the report?
An outline of the method?
A background of the subject matter?
9. Research Design/ Methodology
Does it have?
The information about the way the enquiry was carried out?
The way the data was collected?
10. Review of Literature
Have been collected the Review of Literature regarding Research work.
11. Empirical Analysis
Draw the Inference from sensitivity Analysis of the research work carried out.
12. Findings and Suggestions
Are the illustrations related to the report?
Are the illustrations listed clearly?
Are they labeled?
13. Conclusions and/ or recommendations
Have the conclusions based on the main idea been drawn?
Are the recommendations clear and concise?
14. Appendices
Has all the supporting information been listed?
15. References
Have the references been listed alphabetically?
Are the references precise and accurate?
16. Glossary
Does it have the explanation of the technical words?

Database Example

Real Life Application of databases
Check this video as an illustration of How Databases & E-Commerce are useful in real life.