Barry Westling

Ida Romelle, Certainly, without adequate preparation, any instructor will be on (and feel like) shaky ground. Competence and confidence kind of go hand in hand. And since students sort of expect their instructor to be fully prepared (even if they are not), we have a duty to do all we can to be ready, with all material and resources prepared. Barry Westling

Karen, What is so unfortunate is when students ;learn too late that they need a lot of improvement and there's little time to make corrections. I spend more time with my weaker students because the stronger ones seem to do OK on their own. But regular, frequent communication about status, and begun early on works the best for me. Barry Westling

Karen, Yeah, every student comes to us with weaker and stronger attributes. Among the methods to "get acquainted" is the pretest. After a couple of weeks with my students I begin to get a feel for traits students possess. But that's 2-3 weeks that I can't recapture, so something like the pretest can give me an edge and peek into each student beforehand. Barry Westling

Karen, A lot of instructors fail to understand that just the daily process of providing interactive instruction usually stimulates most of the senses. If students are actively engaged they will be using senses in learning. Barry Westling

Karen, Sure, and sometimes what one experiences on a particular day will be viewed completely different when reflected on at a later time. Reflection is a great way to improve our instructional styles and abilities. Barry Westling

Michael, I'm not a fan of extra credit myself, but I understand some instructors will use it to boost grades and morale. I can see where math would be especially more important to keep the level of morale as high as possible. Barry Westling

Michael, Perfect! Knowing our audience is so important, and also giving needed time for weaker students or good students struggling with specific instructional segments. Barry Westling

Michael, Great! There is an idea floating about (mostly for online classes but applicable in all settings) called the flipped classroom, meaning what is typically done in class is completed at home (lecture, discussion, video clips), and what is typically done at home is performed in class (homework, exercises, practice). The idea is the emphasis shifts to where the instructor gives greater percentage of time and effectiveness with students. Barry Westling

Chris, Yeah, that personal touch is very important. Even casual chats can help reinforce credibility and trust. Ultimately, students need (and want) the direction given by their instructor. Electronic grade books provide information, but not necessarily assistance. Barry Westling

Jean, I agree, and also think that there are non-point/grade ways to reward or recognize outstanding effort. For instance, praising students in class or public, or having the student present their assignment to the class or other classes, or having a students name and their project announced on the college portal, etc. are just a few examples. Some students are shy and prefer not to be in the limelight, but even so, I believe everyone recieves inner pride and satisfaction when they are publicly recognized Barry Westling