Kirk Van Arb

Meaningful feedback can improve learning and help students improve skills based on course content. I find it really surprising that people need to actually be told this. How does a person even enter into the field of educated people on any subject and not realize going in that positive, meaningful feedback is important to any person's learning process?

Scaffolding provides structure for student learning and focus for student activities.

• Provide clear instructions
• Clarify purpose
• Keep students on task
• Offer assessment to clarify purpose
• Direct students to worthy sources
• Reduce uncertainty and disappointment
• Deliver efficiency
• Create momentum

"It is essential to document what issues were reported in the first testing session and make sure they were not reported in the second testing session."

This goes with more than just testing. It's absolutely ongoing. Being able to teach more than one class a day, I can take what students either picked up or didn't, and apply more or less to the next class, and even retouch on what the class the night before learned that the morning class may have missed out on the next time I meet with the morning class.

I have family members who suffer greatly from PTSD. One in particular is my cousin who cannot even enjoy holidays like Independence Day, and is cautious about attending simple events like races or baseball games that may have fireworks. The explosive sounds induce feelings of unease and I have witnessed that he becomes physically ill-looking. So this particular course hits very close to home for me. I am glad that we recognize it as something we need to be cautious and considerate of.

Being a good listener, and yet, not getting personally brought into the complaint your students may have. All while maintaining your professionalism as an instructor. That is good advice.

I have always believed in this answer the Knowledge Bit gave us regarding why an inviting learning environment is so important.

Fitting into the three instructor roles (as a Model, Manager and Motivator. Displaying aspects of the five C's (being Credible, Candid, Compassionate, Committed and Clear) and maintaining the image of the three competencies (Technical, Professional, and Personal) are all major take-withs from this lesson. Take them with you, use them, live by them.