Dr. J's Blog

How do you respond during those moments at work when you feel insecure, threatened, lacking in some way, outdated, or any other quality placed upon you because of present circumstances? Are you able to find something positive about yourself to believe in and hold onto long enough to over the challenges you face?

It's surprising how quickly our sense of security and resolve can be stripped away at work, whether you go to work in an office or you are a remote employee. The moment something comes along to challenge your ability to complete a task, project, or requirement, it may start a mental process of negativity and one which is difficult to stop. You even may not realize how much your job means to...

What would you say about yourself if you were asked to explain your teaching philosophy as an educator? Do you have a guiding mission statement for your instructional practice?

You may be surprised with the number of educators who either do not have a teaching philosophy or cannot clearly and concisely articulate (without the use of clichés or generalizations about teaching) what their beliefs may be about learning and teaching. When I have been responsible for interviewing faculty for online teaching positions, many candidates I spoke with had not developed a clearly defined philosophy statement or never thought it was needed for their career. While it did not automatically disqualify them from a teaching position, it does not help them provide a true representation of...

Do you view the learning process as an opportunity to build connections with students through an attitude of empathy and caring about them, or do you see yourself as someone who dictates conditions and demands strict compliance with the rules and requirements of each class?

Teaching adults is more commonly called instruction or facilitation, and is often viewed as a specific function with associated requirements that depend upon the person’s status and classroom environment. Some people choose to teach adults as a career in a traditional university and others choose a non-traditional route, such as an online school or corporate classroom. But why does someone, or why would someone, decide to teach adults as a career choice?

I have found there are those who are...

Do you understand what critical thinking means? Have you discovered an indicator when thinking becomes or transforms into critical thinking? Do you recognize when critical thinking occurs in class discussions or written assignments?

The phrase "critical thinking" has become widely used in the field of education and it is a skill which students are told they must learn. A challenge is that this phrase can have multiple descriptions when educators are asked to define it. The descriptions provided by students are even more varied and often described using clichés such as "thinking outside of the box", or they can come closer to what this concept means when they relate it to problem-solving.

This poses a challenge for the inclusion of critical thinking in a list of...