Do your students know what their life goals are? At least once during the semester- normally during the beginning or middle of the term- I have my students do some sort of activity to evaluate why they’re really here in college, or more generally, what they want out of life. This semester I created an…
For some reason I can’t shake this question: What will they remember 10 years from now? I met a fellow adjunct instructor at the beginning of this term, and we’ve met up in the campus adjunct office quite a bit. This seasoned instructor mentioned to me that, realistically, most students won’t remember what they learned…
Olympia LePoint may be my new hero. Her talk about fear and overcoming it is pretty amazing: ‘Reprogramming your brain to overcome fear: Olympia LePoint at TEDxPCC’ When I stumbled upon this TED talk, I instantly knew I needed to show it in my Fundamentals of Speech class. The biggest problem students have in my…
I’m a late adopter when it comes to new technology. But something I like about my job is that it encourages me to use new technology when it feels right for me. I’ve slowly become accustom to different Learning Management Systems and how to manage online courses. The most recent thing I learned was how…
The key to great success, better job performance, and better health? Intrinsic motivation. Or what Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive, calls Type I behavior (good news- reverting back to our natural instincts of working intrinsically is something we’re all capable of). I finished this book a few weeks ago (which also prompted me to…
As a college professor and lecturer/speaker, it’s important to know your audience, relate to them, and keep them engaged. Otherwise your message is lost. Those are some of the simple lessons (reminders, really) that I was taught while reading The Naked Presenter by Garr Reynolds over the weekend. No matter what subject you teach, you…
The subject of low community college graduation rates has been a popular topic in education as of late. According to the U.S. Department of Education in 2013, only 18% of community college students complete their Associates degree and transfer to a four-year school, and the American Association of Community Colleges in 2013 claimed that graduation…
Over the years, I’ve heard colleagues talk about how valuable some media resources are in the classroom, and it all sounded nice enough. However, once I implemented these tools in my own classroom, I started to fully understand how valuable- and handy- these resources can really be in reaching this generation’s college students. Khan Academy…
As you well know, I’m not a doctor. However, the following are things I do in my life to stay healthy and happy. Over the years I’ve figured out what does and doesn’t work for me. Hopefully, my personal tips can help you in some small way. 1. Adopt positive habits People who smile in…
If you want your students to stop coming up with excuses for why they couldn’t do the homework (they missed lecture last class, they lost the worksheet you handed out, they weren’t clear on the directions, they’re confused, etc.) and you’re looking to make life easier on yourself in general, here’s the secret: Make your…