Jack McCarty

Over my years of teaching, which I admit has been a shorter run compared to others, I find that intrinsic motivation is really the only way we as instructors can get our students in the classroom. Extrinsic, like the module implied, is often short lived and will burn out after a short amount of time. For example, I host a quiz game with my students every day to get the students engaged in the overarching curriculum and upon my own introduction to the school, I used to reward students with the most points earned with Starbucks. This served as a… >>>

I was surprised to learn the degree in which flexibility plays a role in the development of student autonomy. Partitioning assignments is one such example, where students are tasked to work upon groupings of assignments rather than all the assignments, while still adhering to the principles of the curriculum. For some trades in post-secondary schools this might work better than others, but overall it is a great way in which we as teachers can provide our adult students with levels of autonomy. One thing that I have been using in class to answer the question of security is to provide… >>>

Having completed this module, the largest take away I have received is concerning the importance of wait time. As an instructor, I am constantly glimpsing at the clock to monitor my progress in relation to the scheduled lecture. Sometimes a lecture prompts a lot of questions that contests with the allotted time given and I spiral into the worry that I will not be able to adequately deliver the rest of my material. But this module reinforces that given a proper wait time I can still manage the fulfill my lecture and better yet, those questions can contribute to the… >>>

I believe that for most instructors, developing open questions is an intimidating task, especially for those of us who are involved in trades where the requisite knowledge is highly intense and goes deep into theory. For a while I had constricted myself to closed questions as a barometer for success but, in reality open questions are a much better metric. If our job as instructors is not to provide information but provide the pathway to information, then open questions are ultimately what we are looking for our students to answer. If they can come across answers by themselves (i.e: Why… >>>

Safety is a principle that constantly must be reinforced in life but more specifically in the classroom. The requisites listed, such as no horseplay, never carrying more than what you can handle, and cleaning up after spills to avoid slipping, are necessary in order to provide a safe working environment for students. I am proud to be on a campus that consistently instill safety in its students. Having multiple lessons that go over Safety and having the students constantly engage in those practices ensures the longevity of not only the curriculum, but also the student. 

Assessment is relatively difficult for most instructors to master and it took years as working as a teacher before I come to understand both the impact that it has on a class (vague assessments do not play well) as well as the way in which it defines how a class has to be fundamentally structured. I don't believe that there is a catch all here, but instead it really depends on program to program. For example, my class' labs are often assessed with a 0 or 100 point rubric because there really is no in between. However, outside the lab… >>>

Student's in post-secondary education have a variety of learning styles which must be satisfied and which can be satisfied through lab. A lab assignment may provide some if not all of the preferred learning styles in the lab including kinesthetic, visual, etc. While this is certainly the case, I believe that some instructors fall apart in their attempt to facilitate one learning method instead of all. Difficult, yes, but it remains necessary for us to adhere to the learning styles of all students if we are to succeed as instructors. 

As Bloom's Taxonomy is satisfied by the certain lab procedurals, lab has a place in post-secondary education. Lab assignments will often provide students with the opportunity to grow, but only under certain conditions. For example, a Lab assignment with little to no direction will or objective's does little in relation to one with objectives. This is due to the lack of direction a student will experience. The same levels of care must take place in lecture and in lab in order to facilitate an engaging learning experience. 

As someone who has previously taught students with mental disabilities such as Dyslexia, modifying teaching methods remains difficult but worth it. Providing one on one with those students after class and having open, honest, conversation's about their own learning requirements remains paramount if you wish for those students to succeed. If the student is younger, always make inquiries concerning an IEP and work around that plan. The biggest thing, however, is patience. They want to succeed just as much as you want them to succeed. By taking the time, you are bound to promote them to the place they aspire… >>>