James Jackson

Susan, great post and thanks for sharing. We all can learn so much from those that have more experiences or have different experiences than ourselves. I do not know the source but I have heard it said that instructors make the worst students and I have seen this first hand at times. If we are to lead by example then we as instructors need to learn to be great students and always be ready to learn and take in new information. Thanks again for your awesome post and thanks for all that you do, keep up the great work. James… >>>

Ruth, great point with respect to setting the stage and expectations the first day of class. You never get a second chance to make that first impression and this is where some instructors fail to take control and remain in controll from day one. Being in controll does not make one a controller over a guide as a good guide is always in control. The buddy just wants to get along with everyone and does not want to work hard to achieve their goals. The guide understands that they must bring their "A" game everyday to be successful and this… >>>

Robert, a guide is good at both. I do not see these as opposing in any way as both are required. In business my father always taught me to be fair but firm. Treat everyone equally but each situation needs to be evaluated on its own merit. If I would make an exception for one then make the same exception for anyone with the same circumstances. This does not imply that you break the rules for everyone but remain consistant for any given situation regardless of the individual. Getting to know your students and building rapport is only smart and… >>>

David, we have all had situations that we would handle differently as we mature and become more comfortable leading by example. The learning process is the same for us as instructors as it is for our students. The lesson to learn is to capture that feeling of revelation and use it over and over again as you notice your students making that change from adolesent behavior to adult behavior. Experience is one of the best teachers and you now have some great experience to take you to that next level of being good teaching to a GREAT teacher. Thanks for… >>>

Barry, first let me say thank you for your dedication and hard work. We need more like you in our industry. A lot of research has been done in the area of cognitive psychology within our sector of higher education and according to Dr. Joe Pace from The Pacific Institute it takes at least 11 positives to make up for a single negative in the life of our students. Think about this for a second and how it relates to your comments. For those students that are constantly around negative influences they may need dozens of positive experiences to make… >>>