Student Guide Corner

In my previous blog posting, I talked about motivation � are you a football coach or a scout leader?    I received several emails asking how I motivate students under either of those approaches.    Well, no motivational style works perfectly on every occasion but I think you need to (a) really communicate clearly to your students at all times and (b) sell the course to them.     Every course and every friend and every club is demanding every minute of a student�s time.    Why should they pick your course to focus their attentions?    I think that is where communication becomes vital and I think that communication has to have some element of marketing in it.    If you believe in the importance of your course, then you need to help them understand what needs to be done. Consequently, here is an email that I sent to my students today.   To:    Accounting Students From:    JH At the beginning of th...

  I am delighted to report that last week this blog went over 100,000 page views since its inception.    That is certainly a dream come true for me.     Many thanks to everyone who has been kind enough over the years to mention this blog to all of the teachers around you.    As a new year begins, please continue to let people in the education profession know that I try to post my thoughts on teaching 2 or 3 times each month.    Thanks!!! ** About 10 days ago, I released my new book on Amazon:    Don�t Just Dream about Success:    Stack the Odds in Your Favor .    As the title clearly implies, I believe that everyone can become more successful more of the time by following certain tactics.    Proceeds from the sale of this book go to finance CPA review for FREE, the website ( www.CPAreviewforFREE.com ) where candidates can prepare to pass the CPA exam without having to spend a fortune.    I sim...

There are many times in teaching that a teacher needs to explain things to students. In many college classes, they are young people with limited experience. Occasionally, they simply don�t understand, especially when things are not as they have experienced them in the past. Part of my job as a teacher is to explain things beyond my subject matter. There are stories that can sometimes help them come to a better understanding. I often have students come to my office after I return a test. They are upset that they didn�t make the grade they had wanted or expected. It is common for me to hear something like �I cannot tell you how hard I studied. In fact, I studied with Mr. A and Ms. B and I knew just as much as they did. We worked every question from class 8 times apiece. Yet, they made a 95 and I made an 83. What am I supposed to do?� I guess this is on my mind because one of my students told me this afternoon that the 83 he got on a recent test was the first grade he had received in coll...

My wife often watches �Morning Joe� on cable television as she gets ready for the new day. It is a group of people who discuss and debate politics and the world in general each morning. Last week, I wandered through and the people on the show that morning were discussing education. Just as I passed by, one person asserted: �We all know how to get great education: Demand Excellence and Expect Excellence.� Demand Excellence and Expect Excellence. Hmm, sounds good. I wonder how many of us really do that? Do we really demand excellence from our students? Really? In fact, do we really demand excellence from ourselves? Or, maybe, they are just two sides to the same coin. RESPONSE ONE TO MORNING JOE: After hearing the commentator, I immediately walked to my study and sent an email to one of my students. �You made a D on your first test in my class. Since then, I have not noticed one iota of improvement. None. You are not one bit better prepared for my class. ...

This is my 125th blog entry in the last 25 months. When I started this site, I promised myself that I�d try to do at least 15 entries. My guess is that I would have quit long ago were it not for the many kind emails that I have received. Thanks � I love hearing from people who tell me about their own love of teaching and the challenges they face each day. Today�s entry is broken into several individual parts. PART ONE � I travel around the country 3-5 times per year to give teaching programs and presentations. Invariably, at each stop, some teacher will ask in complete exasperation �why should I even try to do better? The students do not appreciate what I do. They certainly don�t appreciate when I try to make them work and think.� It is very tough to spend the time necessary to move toward excellence if you believe that no one appreciates you. It is hard to put out so much energy if no one cares. I often think deans and department chairs ought to be required to pat as ...