This Master Teacher starts her day at 7:00 am at Richwood Valley. When I visited Trish White’s class on the second day, she already knew the students by name. She started to build a community in her class by putting students in small groups to work on a syllabus scavenger hunt to reinforce key points…
Many of you watched the Academy Awards as stars were awarded the coveted Oscar. February’s equally-coveted Provost’s Innovation in Teaching Award or the Sticking Your Neck out Chicken Award went to OTC’s star Karen Foresee, one of our English instructors. Karen’s innovations in the classroom are numerous. Last month she held a murder mystery night…
The classroom is packed. Every chair is full, and 2 extra seats are pulled in to accommodate the students who want to take this class. We are 6 weeks into the semester, and all 32 students who signed up for this U.S. History class are present. I’ve heard good things about Jennifer Bump’s teaching but…
Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, is known for giving her top performers a pink Cadillac. She said, “There are two things people want more than sex and money. They are recognition and praise.” There are many ways we can give our students recognition and praise but nothing is more powerful for…
My grandfather, Isaac, arrived in the United States in December of 1909. He was only 15 years old when his father sent him across the ocean to bring back his older brother, Richard, who came to the United States for a visit but never returned to Lebanon. Rosie, his older sister, came with Isaac to…
On a bluff high above the Lake of the Ozarks sit the gray limestone walls that remain from a dream of long ago. The building of Ha Ha Tonka castle was begun as a vacation home back in 1905 by Robert Snyder, a wealthy business man from Kansas City. The story of Ha Ha Tonka…
Jennifer Dunkel orchestrates her class like a maestro conducts a symphony. She maintains a rhythm between short lectures and a range of activities to keep her students involved. When I visited her class, they had just completed a group project and were preparing to write a persuasive essay about what they learned from the experience.…
One thing that I notice immediately when I join Julian Tillman’s 9:00 am class is his rapport with his students. I arrive early to his class and many of his students are already there. Julian is chatting with his students about their weekend plans and things going on in their lives outside of class. Julian…
Parents have an enduring influence on their children but how this influence plays out can be fascinating. Lisa Reece, our Department Chair of Physical Sciences, recalls that whenever her Dad told her something, he also showed her what he meant. Lisa says, “You can tell me something all day long but when I see it,…
Another school year is underway. Our theme this year in Academic Affairs is “Celebrate what is right at OTC!” If you missed the opening day video “Today YOU make a difference!” you can view it online at http://www.otc.edu/videofeatures/videofeatures.php. We have a lot to celebrate at OTC including great teachers. I will be highlighting some of…