| Dr. Bruce A. Johnson

Your Next Job Depends Upon a Well-Written Resume. Are You Prepared?

January 01, 20190

Are you looking for a job? Or do you plan to look for a job in the near future?

Those questions represent the most common reasons why someone would begin to look at their resume and decide if it needs to be updated. What most people discover over time is that their resume should always be update-to-date as job changes can occur suddenly and without any prior warning. But most people wait until a resume is needed and it is at this time that a decision is made to try to refine and update it, or leave it as is and hope that it will be sufficient enough to gain a recruiter or hiring manager's attention. There is a misconception that because resumes are rarely mailed out any longer, they are not that important. Yet many online application forms still request that a resume...

Yes, You Can Be a Workaholic and Successful As Well

October 20, 20190

Whether you love your job or simply tolerate it, it can take a significant amount of your time each week. While you may have fixed hours you also understand the reality of meeting job requirements and performance expectations, and it may mean working beyond 9 to 5. Some people will gladly put in the extra time, especially if it means they will maintain job security or possibly get ahead.

Then there are people who will put in the extra time because of working for a demanding supervisor or manager, and their work must be completed – even if the workload is unrealistic. Regardless of the reason why you may put in extra time it can lead to becoming a workaholic. While there are some people who can handle working at a frantic pace, at some point everyone needs to take a break....

4 Strategies to Become a Transformative Educator

September 19, 20190

When you are assigned a class and students arrive, do you view yourself as a teacher, instructor, or educator? Is your role a function, one which completes tasks and responsibilities, or do you aspire to accomplish more with your students? Do you consider the instructional strategies you use now to be transformative in some manner, or would you like to somehow transform the students you teach?

A person enters the field of education as a profession, either full-time in a traditional academic institution or as an adjunct (or part time) instructor. A traditional full-time professor may likely be responsible for conducting research, teaching, and publishing scholarly work. An adjunct instructor may teach in a community college, traditional college, or an online school. When someone...

5 Strategies to Help You Learn From Life Lessons

September 02, 20190

What happened the last time you looked back at your life or your career? Did you question any decisions made because of outcomes received? Do you believe your life or career should have or could have been different?

The best strategy to take is to look at the past and view it as old news or something beyond your ability to control now. However, many people cannot let go, or will not let go of the past, even knowing it cannot be undone or changed. As a career coach and educator, I have had heard many negative statements made about past decisions during self-reflection exercises and these comments can be summarized as follows.

I wish that I would have:

Made a Better Decision

Listened to Reason, Instead of Acting on Impulse

Followed My Heart,...

Six Strategies to Manage Stress from the Inside Out

July 27, 20190

When conditions at work become challenging, how do you react? Are you able to continue on with your day and feel a sense of self-control, or do you internalize the stressful conditions and experience a negative reaction?

There are many circumstances on the job which can have an adverse impact on your performance, from poor working conditions to taking on too many tasks, or facing an over-extended schedule. But there is one condition that can arise as a result of not responding well to circumstances, which can have a negative effect on a person's well-being, and it is a condition known as stress. While it may seem as if there is not much more to be said about this topic, given how extensively the subject...

5 Strategies to Change Negative Beliefs About Your Job or Career

July 06, 20190

For some people a job is something to get through to pay the bills, or what is referred as a necessary evil. For others, it is a vocation, a calling, or something that gives a sense of purpose to each day of the week.

It may take a lifetime to find the right job or career, and it is often the product of developing the necessary skills, acquiring specific knowledge, being dedicated to the company, demonstrating a sense of commitment, and for some, perhaps there is good luck involved, or being at the right place at the right time.

While there are many reasons why a person can succeed or fail in finding a good job or career, there is another factor that can have a significant influence on how a career evolves, and that is the beliefs a person holds about their abilities and...

Help Students Grow With These 3 Supportive Teaching Strategies

June 16, 20190

As an instructor, are you aware of how your students are performing at all times? Do you maintain a proactive or reactive approach to instruction? Do you have supportive teaching strategies which are meant to help students grow?

It is possible you have developed a routine for your instructional tasks and address students when they ask questions or submit assignments. However, there is an aspect of teaching which requires a continued commitment and that is the manner in which you interact with and support your students.

Every educator is aware of the challenges involved in trying to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment, one that is supportive of the learning process and the developmental needs of students. Adjuncts face a greater challenge,...

Learn How to Cultivate Self-Discipline as a Success Mindset

June 03, 20190

Do you understand the connection between what you think and the success you experience, or do not experience, in your job or career? If you could learn to discipline your thoughts towards an attitude of success, do you believe it is possible you could in turn become successful?

There is a well-known phrase that talks about the importance of working smarter and while there are many interpretations of what it can mean, overall it is meant to emphasize the benefits of being focused, disciplined, and working hard. Hard work is the backbone of any career but over time, and when routine work habits are established and set in, the effort that a person exerts may become conditionally based. It could be due to a person's perception of a "bad" boss, poor working conditions, not...

5 Methods of Energizing and Motivating Your Students

May 25, 20190

Are your students performing their very best in your class and completing all learning activities on time? Do they always want to be involved in class discussions, eager to be part of the conversations, while demonstrating what they have learned from the assigned reading? Or do you have a typical mix of students, with some who excel, and other who struggle to stay motivated and involved in the class?

For a traditional class, student motivation can be observed. In contrast, online instructors must watch for a different set of cues and develop conditions within a learning management system which are conducive to learning. There is a belief among some educators it is not possible to help students that you cannot see, especially with a quality such as motivation which...

6 Strategies for Facing Challenges in Your Career

Six Strategies for Facing Challenges in Your Career

May 06, 20190

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...

Main menu

Dr. J's Blog

Your Next Job Depends Upon a Well-Written Resume. Are You Prepared?

Yes, You Can Be a Workaholic and Successful As Well

4 Strategies to Become a Transformative Educator

5 Strategies to Help You Learn From Life Lessons

Six Strategies to Manage Stress from the Inside Out

5 Strategies to Change Negative Beliefs About Your Job or Career

Help Students Grow With These 3 Supportive Teaching Strategies

Learn How to Cultivate Self-Discipline as a Success Mindset

5 Methods of Energizing and Motivating Your Students

6 Strategies for Facing Challenges in Your Career

Pages