Barry Westling

Hi Linda: One thing to keep in mind is the idea of BALANCE when discussing or thinking about personality in the classroom. If there is too much of any personality style, be it too humorous, or too strict, etc., this may serve only to distract the student from a full understanding of the course material. Regards, Barry

Hi Tracy: The problem with consistent disorganization from an instructor is the potential loss of credibility with the students, and the message it may send, which is “I’m not concerned enough about your learning to be organized for you”. Regards, Barry

Hi Tracy: One of the benefits of using pretests is they may help reveal what kind of learning style your student uses. Knowing this may help you create more effective lesson plans. Regards, Barry

Hi Tracy: Also, one of the advantages of evaluating and then reviewing a test with the group is that it might allow a student to gain a better understanding of the rationale they need to answer similar questions that will occur on future exams. Also, it might trigger new questions about the subject matter that will help to stimulate a better understanding of the concepts overall. Regards, Barry

Hi Connie: The problem with consistent disorganization from an instructor is the potential loss of credibility with the students, and the message it may send, which is “I’m not concerned enough about your learning to be organized for you”. Regards, Barry

Hi Tracey: To find out what kind of instructor you are, one might consider keeping a teaching journal. One thing a journal can help to reveal is what kind of person you are when you write down how you feel things went in class. Another great thing about using a teaching journal is that it might help reveal items that need improvement in the lesson prior to the next go ‘round. Also, improvements can be made in both what has worked, and what hasn’t. Regards, Barry

Hi Burnley: Field trips and guest speakers are a great way to renew interest in the material you’ve been discussing in class. It gives the student’s a chance to speak with people (possibly in the field they are training for), and gain a different and new perspective about the topics at hand. Also, they might get the chance to ask some questions about the topics you’ve discussed and get a better understanding overall. Regards, Barry

Hi Matt: By consistently allowing students to have an idea of how they are doing in class, they have the chance to make changes in study habits as soon as possible. By doing this, they promote a more successful outcome for themselves by the end of the course. Regards, Barry

Hi Connie: The nice thing about back-up plans is that they can be used - no matter what, as a means of changing up the energy of the class time. This can be a good way of helping to keep our learning environments as robust as possible. Regards, Barry

Hi Connie: By consistently allowing students to have an idea of how they are doing in class, they have the chance to make changes in study habits as soon as possible. By doing this, they promote a more successful outcome for themselves by the end of the course. Regards, Barry