Joseph Humes

Discussion Comment

Like any instructor, I am nervous about meeting the new students in my class, however, the first day of class does not necessarily mean that the first impression is the one that will predominate the rest of the semester. I have had semesters that started out good but somewhere along the way the student dynamic changed and by the end of the semester I was glad that class was over. And the reverse can be true. It is interesting how the student dynamic changes. You may start off with expecting a particular student(s) to do very well only to see… >>>

Joseph Humes

Discussion Comment

Planning

I have to admit, I need to do better with planning. That is my goal while I am on break. Sometimes I feel as though I am "flying by the seat of my pants" and that's not fair to the students. Mind you, the subject that I teach, oral communications, is a fairly easy one and a class which does not vary all that much from one semester to the other, but it can be more challenging and that is what I hope to accomplish by the time I start my next semester.

Joseph Humes

Discussion Comment

Channeling

Of course, as the material points out so clearly, you are who you are and to be someone else will work as well as wearing a small glove on a big hand; not a good fit. However, you can, as I call it, "channel." And what I mean by that is, like the text material points out, emulate a former teacher of yours that you admired for whatever your reason may be. For example, there are two that come to mind for myself: my third-grade homeroom teacher and my 11th grade social studies teacher. They were both very different personalities,… >>>

Joseph Humes

Blog

Training to broad

After reading over and testing on the Delta compliance training modules, it comes across to me as being too broad in scope. What I mean by that is, the training is attempting to cover all the bases by letting me know about things that may not be pertinent to me. What I would like to see is training that is more "job specific." In other words, as an adjunct faculty member, my training should be focused on that; not things that a recruiter or someone in administration does. But this is just my opinion.

Joseph Humes

Discussion Comment

Unethical practices

It is interesting that seemingly most of the laws made to govern educational bodies, or at least, the laws put in place to protect students and the institution itself, revolves around unethical practices regarding money. Most of the time, it is not the case that someone who is doing something unethical will personally pocket the money, but rather, that person is chasing after advancement that will benefit them financially. For example, a lowly college recruiter looking to gain a more lucrative position which can only be accomplished by providing the institution with "the numbers" they want in way of enrollment.

Joseph Humes

Discussion Comment

Campus Security

It's sort of funny. I work at a small, 2-year college and they have a constant security presence on campus, not to mention other security measures that are set in place. At the university where I obtained my bachelor's degree, there was a police force, but it seemed they were more busy with writing parking tickets. In other words, what I mean is that anyone who wanted to sneak in a class and "hang out" or do some real mischief could do so with impunity.

Joseph Humes

Discussion Comment

Doing Right By The Student

Considering the competitiveness of colleges, it is essential that a school of higher learning tell the student what he/she can expect in regards to outside employment after they receive their college degree. For example, if a student aspires to become a teacher, they should not be led to believe that a 2-year associate degree will land them that opportunity (nor a 4-year bachelor degree, either, for that matter). They should be told that receiving a lesser degree is a "step in the right direction" to their goals, but not the final one.