Barry Westling

Paul, Exactly! Pretesting doesn't have to long or comprehensive, even just a few questions can help provide needed information that can assist the instructor plan the areas more emphasis will be given to. Barry Westling

Chuck, You're right, we are the servants of our students. We should view them each as an opportunity to make a difference in their lives by our efforts. Barry Westling

Paul, Good point. We want students (graduates) to be able to think on their feet when they get employment in the work setting. Integrating critical thinking skills into the lessons is a good goal to achieve because these skills can help them in both their work and personal lives as well. Barry Westling

Tom, Pretests can be used in an admission or enrollment purpose, or they can also be used at the beginning of a course to determine the prior learning of currently enrolled students taking a specific course. In this setting the instructor learns what areas the students may already have a good firm grasp on and therefore, won't have to spend as much instructor time, allowing more time for areas that may need more attention. Barry Westling

Tom, I agree that students like stories. Whenever we can insert a work-setting story, situation, case-study, interesting or unusual circumstance to make a point about a topic being discussed, the students are more likely to remember the point being made based on their recall of the story. In doing so, we're actually building new information on top of prior knowledge inherent in the story thread. Barry Westling

Tom, This sounds like good preparation. Arriving before the students helps in multiple ways, not just for preparation. For instance, I find being ready for class allows me to visit with students as they appear to discuss assignments, answer questions, or just chat about current events. I think this helps demonstrate the instructor is a normal person, approachable, and helps develop better relationships. Barry Westling

Thomas, Yes, a break in the routine is often a welcomed treat. When students begin to visualize themselves in the actual work setting, they can get quite enthusiastic about their studies, realizing they will soon be out in the work force doing some or many of the activities they may see during a good field trip experience. Barry Westling

Thor, Good point. To guide students towards succesful completion requires we keep them posted where they are in their journey. Barry Westling

Thor, I view textbooks as one resource of many. I am the main resource and I use what I need to convey the information I feel is important. For some textbooks, whole chapters are not even used, and other chapters, there may just one small section I'll use. That's OK, as the student learning is the measure I use. Barry Westling

Alan, Sounds like your class would be interesting, because all the mentioned activities are conducive to better student engagement and add interest to the material being presented. Students like variety, especially when it involves some relevance to information they are already familiar with. Barry Westling