We are nearly two weeks into the semester, and once again I am blessed with a wonderful group of students. They are engaged, curious, friendly, respectful, and just seem happy to be here. I wrote in a post a couple of weeks ago that this was the start of my 36th year at Villanova. So … Continue reading As If I Needed to Be Reminded That I’m Old
There are lots of things to like about my job, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be watching my students transition from teenagers to professionals. There are a variety of paths that students choose upon graduation and in the years that follow - some work overseas, some perform a year or … Continue reading The Best Part of My Job
It was sometime during the winter of 1980. I was going to grad school out in Pittsburgh, and I had volunteered to teach a juggling class at the local YMCA. As you might expect, it wasn't a big draw. But as fate would have it, one of the local TV stations in Pittsburgh (KDKA) wanted … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: My 75 Seconds of TV Fame
A couple of years ago I wrote about how prevalent a fear of falling is among the elderly, since the consequences of a fall can be devastating. Data shows that about 40 percent of those aged 65 and older fall at least once a year; one in 40 of them ends up in the hospital, … Continue reading Teaching the Elderly How to Fall
I recently heard a story about a Pakistani man who was fired from his teaching job because his mustache gave “liberal ideas” to students. The teacher, Haseeb Ali Chishti, elaborated on the story with IndianExpress.com “So I was hired right before the school term started. I taught for a week before finding out from another … Continue reading This Is Why I Never Grew a Mustache as a Young Teacher
In a previous post I wrote about how I've gotten a little braver about answering questions in class, even when I'm not quite sure of the answer. Well now I might have to go back to my old ways of being a "bump on log". The other day the teacher asked a question, and I … Continue reading I’m Just Glad My Teacher Didn’t Burst Out Laughing
I started teaching right around the time tools like PowerPoint first came on the scene. Since I've always liked to try out new technologies, I would give these tools a shot if I thought they would enhance my teaching. The first presentation software I worked with was a great program called Compel, which I thought … Continue reading Is This What Teaching Used to be Like?
I've been doing it all wrong. In my class when I teach a topic, I often try to show a video that relates to the topic. For instance, if I'm talking about logistics, I like to show this video of FedEx delivering a pie from Virginia to Hawaii during the Christmas holidays. (warning - don't … Continue reading The Powerful Effect of Cat Videos When Teaching Accounting
Today I had one of my students, who is doing an internship with Teach for America (TFA), give a five-minute presentation to our class on the TFA program and encourage students to give some thought to becoming part of the "corps". The timing could not have been better; in today's Wall Street Journal there was … Continue reading The Power of Teach for America
His life was cut short at the young age of 38, but Harry Chapin still managed to make a difference. Harry was well known not only for his musical success, but also for his work as a humanitarian. He was particularly devoted to the cause of World Hunger. Harry wrote and performed what are known … Continue reading A Song That Every Teacher Should Hear
Borden's Blather 