Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Hi Donna: Using a teaching journal may help instructors between teaching sessions by helping to prepare them to use teaching methods more effectively each new class session. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Role of instructor personality in delivery selection

Hi Gregory: What you say is true. Keeping emtional interests out of the classroom is important. Being too "anything" one way or the other may serve to distract the student from the point you're making. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Hi Amy: Keeping the student informed fosters a positive relationship with the student. It also may help keep the instructor in an "approachable" light. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Organized and prepared to teach

Hi Craig: One thing for instructors to consider is what should they do if they find themselves becoming disorganized in a classroom. Most believe having some kind of back-up activity prepared is helpful. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using pretests as planning tools

Hi Gregory: In addition to learning where a student is academically, pre-tests can also be a good way to see what kind of learner a student is. This of course depends of the type of test you are using. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Organized and prepared to teach

Hi Marife: As we've discussed, disorganization is a very quick way to lose credibility. Having some back-up plans ready to go is a great method of being ready for any issue if an instructor finds themself losing track of a topic. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Making field trips and guest speakers a part of instruction

Hi Rebecca, Exactly - guest speakers can provide a persepective about real life scenarios that a student can learn from. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Mistakes made when selecting course content

Hi Terry, In these two issues you bring up, which is the lesser of two evils? Each instructor should ideally have an idea of the minimum content they want their students walking away with. Using many assessment methods during the learning sessions may be a good way to gauge if the students are getting it. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Being a student-centered instructor

Hi Scott, Student-centered learning is considered the most effective teaching style today. All instructors would be better served to learn a little about it, and how to bring it into their learning environment to increase student interest and retention of the material. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Role of instructor personality in delivery selection

Hi Scott, Right! By putting aside emotional interests and focusing on the learning itself fosters the best learning environment possible. Most will probably agree this is not always the easiest thing to do! Regards, Barry