Barry Westling

Hi Adam: Sometimes an instructor won't know they have a waek area unless someone is willing to be open and honest about it. One method is student evaluations. Although they're not totally objective, they can reflect trends. A good instructor will be open to feedback and the resultant adjustment(s) they may make from their reflection on the feedback. Regards, Barry

Hi Steve: Every class is going to create some opportunities for an instructor to learn. They may come as challenges that require attention or correction for students. Or, it may come as something an instructor will have to adjust or experience. In any event, with the right attitude, all events can become teaching moments if the instructor approaches it form a standpoint of wanting to improve. Regards, Barry

Hi Robert: Good - these are all good ideas. Of course, the trick is always to find those "best practices" that'll work with the group your currently responsible for. I would agree that using a variety of media will reach the most number of students. Regrads, Barry

David: I've even found that some of the things I've thought of as back up turned out to be quite useful and became useful in my regular lesson plan! Regards, Barry

Hi David: Sound like you've got a good handle on ways to connect with your students. Still, there's bound to be some day that just nothing is working or going as planned. Thats when a good reliable back-up plan will really come in handy. Regards, Barry

Hi Robert: Your self awareness is very important if you want to maintain that balance o9f how you perceive you're coming across versus how the students view you. Also, being willing to adapt is a great perspective to possess. Regards, Barry

Hi Jack: It's somewhat unfortunate that you have some limitations in this regard. To me, this means that an instructor will have work very creatively to use the material that have access to. But I wouldn't view that as a limitation in how creative you can be. I'm sure there is much that can be worked to assist students, even if it's a bit outside the norm of how classes have been conducted in the past. Regards, Barry

Hi Micahel: Breaking up the sometimes routine lesson can make for an interesting and more enjoyable learning experience. It sounds like you're able to demonstrate needed course objectives in a somewhat no traditional manner. Great! Regards, Barry

Hi Robert: Great! Promotion of the learning process- I like that phrasing, because it indicates that there are multiple critical steps that are involved in seeing that happen. Regards, Barry

Hi Kerry: Blackboard is a popular and powerful program, among several others out there that positively contribute to the students interfacing with faculty apart from face-to-face interactions. Experienced users (instructors and studenrs) that benefit most will explore its many features and utilize its capabilities to maximum effectiveness. Regards, Barry