Author Archives: coleeducationaldesigns

Stephen D. Brookfield, in his book The Skillful Teacher on Technique, Trust and Responsiveness in the Classroom (2006) states that skillful teaching is grounded in three core assumptions (p. 17), which are: Skillful teaching is whatever helps the student learn. Skillful teachers adopt a critically reflective stance toward their practice. The most important knowledge skillfulContinue reading “If Students Are Customers, What's the Bottom Line?”

Objective Stephen D. Brookfield, in his book The Skillful Teacher on Technique, Trust and Responsiveness in the Classroom (2006) states that skillful teaching is grounded in three core assumptions (p. 17), which are: Skillful teaching is whatever helps the student learn. Skillful teachers adopt a critically reflective stance toward their practice. The most important knowledgeContinue reading “Addressing the Three Core Assumptions”

Recently, based on the suggestion of my professor, I took inventory of my views and perspectives about teaching. I did this through an online quiz (it’s free!). The Teaching Perspectives Inventory quiz asks questions about learning, motivation, the goals of education, my role as a teacher (as I see it), the nature of the learners I haveContinue reading “Taking Inventory: The Qualities of a Good Teacher”

Back in March, I wrote a post that started with… “Students who reflect of their learning are better learners than those who do not” (Barkley, p. 30). To continue this thought, I would like to apply my original post about students integrating new knowledge into existing knowledge through reflection (scaffolding) to us as teachers. TheContinue reading “Reflecting on What's in Your Closet, Part 2”

Picture this…At the end of your classroom performances there is a panel of judges holding up score cards. What numbers are you hoping to see on them? Fives? Sevens? Tens? Keep this in mind as you read the rest of this post. We all want to be good teachers, and not just good, we wantContinue reading “Perfect Ten”

Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken  Warren Buffet In reading the first couple of chapters of The Skillful Teacher by Stephen Brookfield, I have been intrigues by a few concepts. The first is that even though teaching is a highly variable process, there areContinue reading “Chains of Habit”

I have been talking quite a bit about leadership at work lately. I feel like people are often hesitant to accept the responsibilities that come with leadership. We are leaders and we should empower all those around us to be leaders too. I was inspired by a classmate of mine who posted this on hisContinue reading “If You Dare”

After a few weeks, I am back to the books. I have just begun my last class in VCC’s Provincial Instructor Diploma Program called Professional Practice. Over the next few weeks, I will reflect on my practices as a teacher and as a leader in the school I work for. I hope to inspire all youContinue reading “Why Did you Become a Teacher?”

Have you ever taught a course thinking it was going great – students were engaged, they were participating, and they completed all their assignments. Then, you receive the course evaluation forms and your heart sinks. In the depths of your reflection, you drown yourself in questions like “what went wrong?” “what didn’t they like?” “wereContinue reading “Tell me what you want, what you really, really, want”

Objective Part Two of Teaching Naked highlighted ideas for designing courses like video games, using technology for information delivery, engagement techniques, and assessment strategies, and transformative learning environments. Some of the most relevant points, relating to my experience, made by Jose Bowen (2012) in this section highlights that in:     “individual courses, the increased specificityContinue reading “Teaching Naked: Significant Learning”