Barry Westling

Sylinda, Good behavior, professionalism, and even appropriate grooming, grammar, and punctuality can mean success or failure in most work settings. So if possible, adding some of these components can assist students with their job readiness. Barry Westling

Sylinda, When students can visualize themselves in a setting that is like what they are being trained for, they often become more motivated and willing to focus their study, as they realize they will soon be out in the real workplace. Barry Westling

Robert, This makes sense. If students want extra assignments to help them learn, I'm all for that. Asking for extra credit to make up for poor performance, missed assignments, or failing grades is just about points, usually with little impact on real learning. Barry Westling

Robert, Good planning is never a wasted activity. Even the best plans can go awry though, often beyond our control. That's where a good back-up plan is worth its weight in gold. Barry Westling

Robert, When we engage our students, we are in a way inviting them to embrace the world of work as we, the instructors, know to be true. A good impartation can pass essential knowledge along to the next generation. Barry Westling

Robert, Your dilemma regarding student barriers is not unfamiliar. Ideas for guest speaker might include, recent graduates now working, fellow instructors, colleagues you know in the community, sales representatives. If you could get a list of the employers of everyone from say, the past year, you might be able to find someone from one of those employers to come speak (especially if they are satisfied with the employee you trained). Barry Westling

Tania, Yes, and the instructive words of of a caring instructor can be a great comfort, also helping to build rapport, trust, and respect. Barry Westling

Juan, The prerogative to determine grades resides with their instructor. Unless we're not interested in measuring learning, most instructors will try to strike a balance between motivation and determination, and learned content from instruction, assignments, and tests. It's up to the instructor to decide how much subjective weight should be given to the final grade. Barry Westling

Penny, I suggest sticking to basics. We have a course description that provides an overview. Then, course objectives provide the specific outcomes to be met. Next are the daily objectives. At each step, resources and material required to meet the course requirements expand to elaboarte on how a given topic will be taught, strategies, activities, assignments, and of course assessments (quizzes and tests). Sufficient course content is dervived from a methodical analysis of what is needed for students to learn. Barry Westling

Tania, Sometimes students just get a little lazy or disinterested, and become disengaged. So to reengage them, I refocus the class by asking questions, involve them by having them read, come to the white board, or have them review material to the class. When involved, its hard not to also be engaged. Barry Westling