John Perrin

My classroom is big and painted tan with black and red trim. We have given the room some character by hanging huge posters on the walls. The students have responded more favorably than when we had student art on the walls.

It is true that "only what the student creates is actually learned". As an instructor, I feel it is my job to guide the student to create their success.

Many students don't grasp the value of their learning experience! By giving them examples and role models, their confidence is increased and therefore their desire to stay in school and complete the course is solidified.

It is my belief that stress can never be eliminated. However, I have found that introducing humor into most situations will help to keep it at a manageable level. You never want to make light of a student's problem, but presenting a humorous story of your own may divert their focus from the stressor and allow them to refocus on their lessons. Thus keeping their stressor in the background instead of in the foreground.

It's all about choices! So, making the course interesting enough to prove that their choice was or is the right one, keeps them coming back for more. Once hooked the student quickly realizes that they must be there to satisfy their desire to learn.

I have found that remembering the student names reinforces their belief that they matter to the instructor. If the student believes that they matter, the quality of their learning experience will be vastly improved.

Instructors must be careful when addressing student anger. It may be real or perceived. If real it must be taken care of appropriately. However, if perceived it could be an instructor problem and care must be taken.

I continually advise the students that their GOAL is to be successful, not only in my class, but overall in their education. And the only way to achieve their GOAL is to maintain their FOCUS! This simple fact usually brings them back.

Engine repair classes are perfect for the use of psychomotor activities. The students must follow instructions, perform tasks, recognize flaws and formulate repair processes. The instructor can easily evaluate the students performance.

All of our assessments are created by a group of people that are experts in the subject matter. Therefore, they are designed for maximum effectiveness. The students are always assessed in a fair and complete manner.