Identify early on students who may have difficulty in the class. It is helpful to give a test or exam in the first two or three weeks so that you and your students know how well they are doing. Watch class attendance as well. When students feel lost or overwhelmed by a course, they may stay away. Plan a variety of assignments appropriate to various kinds of learning styles.
Students differ in their preferred styles of learning.
Teach to the level you expect students to reach. For most classes, you will probably gear the material for the B student, the bright middle range. When in doubt, it is better to overestimate rather than underestimate the level of the class. Students tend to learn more when a course is conducted just above the level at which they are functioning. Excerpted from Tools for Teaching , pp.