Whether you plan to use textbooks or manufacture material of your own, always be sure that there are enough books and/or handouts for everyone who’s signed up for each course. It pays to have extras on hand, as well, since the integrity of the materials may be compromised – e.g., a book may have a missing page, or one packet of handouts may be faded due to toner problems which occurred during the printing process.
These, along with an attendance sheet and any other teaching aids that may be necessary, should all be put into place well before the sessions begin. If you have back-to-back classes, then you’ll have to prepare several set-ups before the teaching day begins, so that you won’t have to scurry to get your materials together between classes. Since students sometimes linger, you won’t always have time to take care of last-minute business before the next class begins.
Equipment Inspection
Inevitably, there will always be a piece of equipment that won’t work if you fail to check it before the beginning of the teaching day. Within an I.T. environment, it’s particularly necessary to do random testing of the computers each day, so that you’ll have the opportunity to address any problems before class time, or – in the worst case scenario – you’ll be able to make arrangements for two students to share equipment. This is always discouraged, since – in effect – it robs the students of critical hands-on time that’s necessary in order for them to put the practical side of the class to use.
You shouldn’t have to run tests on every program or application each day – only those which will be the focal point of the classes that you’ll be teaching. If, for instance, you’re teaching an Excel course, then you’ll want to test that particular application on each of the machines in order to ensure that they’re functioning properly.