Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Frank, Good point! Must have's from both the student and instructors perspective. I've students will tolerate less than fully prepared every once in a great while, but if it's a repeating pattern, awful, non-productive results are likely. And lost ground in this category are irreplaceable, often leading to lack of trust and respect. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Danice, Students want and need to know their status. I like to personalize sharing grade information by having a individualized discussion. This allows me to offer advice, suggestions, and to encourage. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using pretests as planning tools

Laurna, Yes, the most frequent benefit in using pretesting is it helps avoid wasting time, for both assuming student do know prerequisite material, and spending unnecessary time on remedial information. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Role of instructor personality in delivery selection

Laurna, I agree. Many times the personal back-story involves multiple issues, chaos, and is counter productive to the mission of the class, topic, and outcomes related to job readiness. Approachability, patience, and sometimes, a bit of TLC can create a much improved learning environment. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Organized and prepared to teach

Loren, So true. This poses a challenge to keep classes interesting and students engaged, because what would be easier for the instructor (time wise) is not always the best path for student learning. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Organized and prepared to teach

Laurna, Yes, the students perspective about the instructors willingness to assist through their preparation for class is very important. Trust, respect and morale are tied into this instructor discipline. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Bronzel, Yes, and more so than discouragement is delays in posting/discussing grades can interfere with student progress. I believe that if I decide to give a quiz, exam, or other similar assessment, I also have a responsibility to prioritize getting the results back to students. Students need that feedback in order to know what areas may need improvement. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Organized and prepared to teach

Sandra, Good planning and organization really creates an ideal learning environment. Students appreciate the time and effort their instructor puts in to make for meaningful lessons, and it's true, that helps build trust and respect. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using pretests as planning tools

Martha, In any case, students benefit in some way from pretesting. I don't grade pretests, and I receive as much benefit as anyone by fine tuning my lessons plans accordingly. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Organized and prepared to teach

Jeff, Some instructors think they can just waltz in and wing it. They probably can fill the time space, but the quality of what they have to offer will by necessity be weak. If this pattern persists, student morale, respect and trust are all likely to diminish. Barry Westling