Dr. J's Blog

Do you feel knots in your stomach the moment you begin your work day? Does the phone ring and you immediately dread answering it? Or does your workday begin fairly well but become progressively worse, especially as the week continues and the demands never seem to let up?

There are many circumstances on the job that can have an adverse impact on performance, from poor working conditions to numerous responsibilities and 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 that is the condition known as stress. While it may seem that there is not much more to be said about this topic, given how extensively the subject of stress management has...

Do you wait for students to ask questions or seek assistance when you notice they have missed assignments or they are not performing well with discussions or written assignments? Or are you proactive in your approach to instruction and actively reaching out to those students who need your assistance?

It may seem students should want the help of their instructors, especially when they are struggling with course topics, assignments, and meeting deadlines. But the reality is that this is not usually the case and as most educators know, students may even resist the very idea of asking for help and prefer to give up when faced with a challenge. This can occur even when an instructor has done everything possible to encourage students to speak up. For example, I observed many...

Are you teaching online classes or plan to in the near future? Do you have a set of practices you follow to prepare yourself for teaching, to become highly effective?

Educators have discovered online teaching can be exciting, rewarding, frustrating, demanding, and challenging all at the same time. The opportunities for new online instructional positions are becoming fewer now because of the number of instructors who are interested in teaching and the process of acquiring an adjunct position has become very competitive. For example, it is not uncommon for someone who is highly experienced and educated to find it challenging to obtain new assignments.

What should you do while you wait for your first (or next) online teaching opportunity? The best answer is to...

Are you teaching business courses or plan to teach business courses soon? Whether you are teaching business courses in a traditional classroom or online, you need specific tools and strategies to become effective with your instructional practice. This is why Dr. Johnson has written his book, Getting Down to Business: A Handbook for Adjunct/Part-Time Faculty Who Teach Business.

Regardless of the business discipline in which you teach, Getting Down to Business supports and enhances the instructional practices of teaching faculty. Dr. J shares tips, tools, techniques and adult learning theories to help new and experienced faculty effectively facilitate classes, engage with their course materials in more meaningful ways, and design business courses that integrate...