Barry Westling

Andrea, Yes, we can give our advice and suggestions. The students need to feel our care and concern for their successsfulness. If that is conveyed, they will responsive to our advice. Barry Westling

David, This sounds great! I think frequent chats with students work the best. These discussions don't have to be long, but when students hear our suggestions and advice, and if given in a kind and caring manner, the students will see that thier instructor cares about their successfulness in the course. This also helps build trust and respect. Barry Westling

Andrea, Really, all pretests are a type of review. It may the preview type, or the post type, but in all cases we are presenting information that must be mastered one way or another. Barry Westling

Andrea, Right. It is really impossible to convey all that students need to know in the training program alone. They have to be able to think for themselves. Good critical thinking skills will provide them with the ability to think on their feet, apply material we've taught, and make good employees because of it. Barry Westling

David, A noble goal indeed! Like a parent, we want our kids to do well. Using that same analogy, we can help them the most by being thorough, meeting the course objectives, and teaching important skills such as preparedness, patience, courtesy, and critical thinking. These, along with complete course knowledge will help them both in work and in their personal lives. "A good education prepares one for life". Barry Westling

Andrea, Yeah, we may know what we expect from students but it's unfair to them if we have not done our job in adequately getting them ready, and that comes first by the instructor getting ready. Barry Westling

David, There's nothing like looking prepared than being prepared! Yes, students notice our degree of readiness for class. We can appear confident, but we also have to demonstrate competence, and comes by taking the necessary time and effort to prepare the lesson, gather resources, and be ready to go as students begin enetring the room. Barry Westling

Jaime, More senses involed in learning means better retention of information. Sometimes we have to be creative to think about using other sense. In the end, it's going to be better for our students. Barry Westling

Paula, Good point. Students often forget that, even though they are students in a school setting, they are still being trained for a work setting that will have expectations. Self evaluation is paramount for students to successfuly make the transition from student to worker. Barry Westling

Dawn, Great! Prompting students with potential questions, or alternatively, taking notes about key areas I prepare the students for makes for more substantial questions, makes the guest feel like the students are truely interested, and overall, contributes to a more meaningful activity. Barry Westling