Barry Westling

Hi Ivette: Excellent! You've really hit on something when you're able to transition to a related (or different) topic and the student is unnaware of the change! Using differnt teaching methods also reinforces this effort. Regrads, Barry

Hello Franklin: Extra credit can be a double edged sword. Students who've earned the credit are bound to feel undermined if too much is given. I know I feel bad when my coworkers get recognized for doing less work. I think extra credit should be used cautiously. Regards, Barry

Hi Franklin: Your ideas look great. What many effective instructors do is compile an array of activities, or exercises, or variations to their regular lesson plan so that when things don't go as planned, they can go to their back-up folder and voila! an instant lesson perfectly tailored to the topic dujour. Regards, Barry

Franklin: These are good resources. I would imagine that all past experiences are not necessarily good ones – applicable in every setting. That’s where I would add caution: what has worked for one may not work for another. Regards, Barry

Hi Franklin: I think most instructors feel they know their strengths and tend to model their teaching practices around these perceived attributes. However, what we need is "eyes in the back of our heads" to really see how the students see us, or those that may have positive constructive suggestions to modify our plans. Unless we are willing to subject ouselves to this scrutiny, we probably will never realize our full potential as instructors. Regards, Barry

Hi Gilbert: You've stated a simple but basic truth. Hopefully, as instructors, we all should be willing to expose ourselves in order to learn about areas that may need improvement. Those instructors that are unwilling will not really perform optimally, and perhaps more critically, their students will suffer as the result. Regrads, Barry

Jennie: There could be little argument against the attributes of fairness and equity. I suppose these key tenets could be subject to interpretation. To avoid misunderstandings, I maintain two features are needed. One is assuring there are correctly developed student learning outcomes (SLO’s) defined for a given lesson. The other is assuring these SLO’s are covered in the class (at a minimum). This is only way objective-based testing can be practiced in a fair and equitable manner. Regards, Barry

Hi Jennie: Yeah, usually evening classes - especially 4-hour ones - can be particularly challenging for all involved. Although a bit time consuming, an activity that has worked for me is breaking your class into sub-groups, each with a task. The task could be to discuss one aspect of a lesson or topic. Then, all the groups reconvene to present to the whole class. This also allows for the facilitator/instructor to add essential points that may have been missed, or emphasize key points you want included. Regards, Barry

Hi Jennie: Yes, I think you've hit on an important trait applicable to people in general, not the least of whom are students. A related thought to getting students to remember your message is to personalize it. By bringing the students own personal experiences into the discussion they are much more likely to recall the lesson points and apply them in their vocation. Regards, Barry

Dr. Verado: Yes, adapting to situations based on an understanding of one's strengths and uniqueness’s can be quite useful in providing full and comprehensive service to our students. What I’ve found is too many individuals are unwilling to be open to having their good and bad exposed, let alone using that information in an instructional manner to assist their students. I believe a key to getting someone to open up to themselves requires a degree of confidence in who they are, and a willingness to be humble in accepting less than wonderful insights they might discover. Regards, Barry