Barry Westling

Hi Allana: Great forecast for successful classes. Thanks for sharing! Regards, Barry

Hi Mark: Being fair is essential and an extension of commitment to sound teaching standards. Fairness will contribute to building trust, less than consistently fair will only lead to diminished confidence in the instructor in the eyes of the students. Regards, Barry

Hi Darryl: Great. Sometimes its hard to acknowledge we have a weaker area that could benefit from improvement in some ways. But I think good teachers should not be worried about adapting, modifying, and changing some attribute about their instructional behavior if they're serious about their role as a teacher. Regards, Barry

Hi Guy: Interesting post regarding your approach to learning - but applicable to this forum. Anytime we can relate the lesson to real-life scenarios, I think students will tend to remember and therfore, be better prepared. I think if an instructor can gain the trust of his/her students, then the students are going to be more open to just about any form of delivery, presentation, or teaching method. Regards, Barry

Hi Raymond: I'm sure you've found how to maximise your rather limited resources. But depending on the subjects, these media could work perfectly well in most instances. Colored markers, pre-written white board notes or drawings, and student-at-the-board are a few of the ways some teachers liven up the white board experience. Regards, Barry

Hi Raymond: Sounds like a good plan. Of course, access to the websites and text is required. I ask (rhetorically) what if students don't have their textbooks or computer access (those darned things are down again!)? So, just to illustrate, back up plans include what can you do when what was planned cannot be completed? In the electronic classroom, technology can be both a blessing and a demon, eh? Regards, Barry

Hi Justin: Keeping students minds busy, ingaged, motivated, and productive are among the challenges we face. It certainly takes special people to be good and great teachers. Regards, Barry

Hi Raymond: Your personal connection is potentially cabavle of establishing a very positive and long lasting impression and relationship. That's great! Regards, Barry

Hi LE: Back up resources as you've described are a great idea. One important point is when a back up plan is put into motion, it's usually because what was regulary planned cannot be accomplished for whatever reason. So, the more low-tech, easy access, ready to go with little preparation the back up assignments can be, the better. Reagrds, Barry

Hi Stacy: If your insitution allows it, awarding EC is always the instructors call. Just want to be fair with it's use (i.e. if one works for and gets it, then all shohould the opportunity to work and earn it). Regards, Barry