Barry Westling

Robert, Getting students involved in their own instruction is very helpful, and makes classes more interesting, engaging,and memorable for students. Lesson material is retained better when students are actively engaged. Barry Westling

Anthony, One way to help sure classes aren't rushed is by being adequately prepared. In doing so, topics can flow seamlessly from point to point, and adjustments can be made as the need presents. I always allow some time to discuss and review the day's activities as time permits. If I have to go over some, this review can be ommitted. But timing is tricky at times, and experience will help determine how long certain topics take, and how best to segment instruction into bite-sized pieces. Barry Westling

Melissa, What you do for testing sounds great, I do that nearly every test. I would say a journal can be very beneficial for other areas, such as after a class, jotting a note about what worked or didn't, information to follow-up on for future classess, personal observations about students, their attention, personal preparation, etc. I like to think of it as CQI, or cconstant quality improvement. Reflection on comments made months or even years later are very instructive to reveal something about personal growth and improvement as an instructor. Barry Westling

Melissa, Great! This kind of experience will be memorable and useful for probably the entireity of these students careers. That's what's cool about fieled trips; they offer something unique not found in the classroom or lab setting on the school campus. Barry Westling

Robert, Great. A lot of variety makes for more interesting classes, as well as better retention of essential information. Students learn different ways, and when mutiple senses are used and teaching methods vary, we are more apt to transfer the short term memory information into the long-term recall category. Barry Westling

Anthony, Right, I agree. We have to be authentic and genuine in our presentation to students. Conveying confidence, competence, and patience with students suggests we are capable of leading to successful completion of their class. Barry Westling

Gail, Yes, when I don't know much about the prior knowledge students possess is when I feel a pretest helps me the most. Barging ahead with assumptions about prior learning can result is some students being bored and others lost. I want to be able to reach the most students in the most effective way, and the pretest is one tool that can help in that way. Barry Westling

Gail, These are very creative ways to make a point that stays with the students. It's important fo instructors to be free to express their unique personalities, as that that is when the most creativity will emerge. Barry Westling

Cynthia, Teaching journal are varied as to format and content - they are what an instructor makes them. Your stated use sounds good. I think over time you may find there will different entries, such as observations about yourself and students, planning future classes, and insights that reflect growth and improvement over time. Good luck as you begin. Barry Westling

Cynthia, Right. A well planned field trip or good guest speaker can bring a dimension to instruction that is unlike anything that could be done in the classroom or lab setting. I always find students are excited amd moved by a good field trip. Sometimes, weaker students get motivated to "get down to business" after what they see in the field trip. Barry Westling