Category Archives: Classes and Courses

Announcements and information about classes and courses being offered.

Classes and Courses, Learning

Getting Started in Real Estate

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Summer Learning Opportunity in Bangor

It’s no secret the real estate market is hot! Here’s your opportunity to get involved and licensed. It all starts with the successful completion of a required Sales Agent Course and I’ll be teaching one in July!

The Sales Agent Fast Track Course is exactly that: fast! And it offers the best of both worlds. The course includes self-study using online resources and a textbook. But it also includes four classroom workshops where you take part in interactive learning activities with fellow learners and a instructor.

The workshops are held at Beal University in Bangor on Wednesday evenings starting on July 14, 2021. The deadline for registering is July 7, 2021–registering earlier is recommended so you have your materials and complete the required lessons.

For more information or to register

“I have to give a huge shout-out to our teacher Walter. He thoroughly knows his material and the way he explains things makes is much clearer than reading from a book alone. He went above and beyond to assist in areas I was struggling with and was extremely prompt on answering emails. He also was very encouraging. I am not sure I have had a more sincere, encouraging well informing teacher in my life.” 

Classes and Courses, Learning, Personal Growth, Teaching

Getting it right

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Tomorrow morning, I will be proctoring an exam for a group of students who took a course I didn’t teach. The exam will follow the typical multiple-choice format. A leading stem is followed by four answer choices. Before starting the exam, we’ll spend a few minutes talking about some “test-taking tips.” One I will emphasize is to slow down and think about the stem of the question before even looking at the answer choices.

I already know that some students will do poorly on questions where “All of the above.” is the correct answer. Even if you aren’t taking an exam tomorrow, you should know why that’s true.

In the most basic terms, we want to be right. That’s not a bad thing and it’s understandable. But in our rush to be right, we subconsciously reject the idea that there are four correct answers to the question. There must be one correct answer.

We’ve trained ourselves to think that way because it’s easy and works most of the time. In pre-school we learned that “apples are red.” So if asked this question:

1. Apples are:
A. Red
B. Yellow
C. Green
D. All of the above

The instinctive answer, particularly when hurrying, is “A!” I’ve occasionally said that one thing harder than taking tests is writing tests. Let’s try changing the stem of the question:

1. Most apples are:
A. Red
B. Yellow
C. Green
D. Purple

If forced to guess, most will still answer “A!” but I’m not so sure that’s the correct answer, are you? Nearly all apples are green for at least some portion of their development. Would a better question be “Most apples are, at some point of their development:?”

Test-writing and test-taking aside, in our rush to be right we often fail to consider alternatives. Considering alternatives takes time and can be hard work. It also means we may need to let go of our favorite beliefs and recognize there could be acceptable alternatives. There may not be an absolutely correct answer but there’s probably a best answer.

If we truly want to reduce the divisiveness we are experiencing as a society, we need to abandon the test mentality and the belief there is only one right answer.

Or maybe we need to start asking different questions. For example, what color are most apples beneath the skin?

Classes and Courses, Teaching, Using social media

Every Once in a While…

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Have you got a minute for a story? Every once in a while, something happens that just has to be shared.

Unless you’re living under a rock, you know that Maine is now under an Executive Order that requires facemasks to be worn unless you are on your own property.

If you’ve recently attended a “live” class or workshop I’ve taught, you also know that I suffer from COPD and allergies. That’s not a complaint, it’s just a statement of fact to explain why I occasionally have trouble breathing and may cough–even if I’m not wearing a facemask. I don’t have COVID-19 but wearing a facemask causes me discomfort, reduces my oxygen absorption and makes teaching difficult.

During the second class I taught after the Executive Order was announced, one of my adult students (we’ll call her “D”) disappeared for a few moments. She returned from a quick trip to her vehicle with the explanation she had something for me but would need to assemble it. The smile she wore was both intriguing and telling.

Ultimately, D presented me with the face-covering pictured here together with an explanation that her employer was using them and they were also being widely used in restaurants and food prep areas.

It wasn’t long before I was smiling with her. “I can breathe!” I announced to the class. Several replied “And we can see your smile now!”

I no longer had to deal with my glasses fogging.

If there was a questionable side-affect it was that the shield reflected my voice and my hearing aids seemed to increase the volume of my voice. They and I both adjusted rather quickly.

I wanted to share the story because the student’s kindness deserves recognition.

I also need to confess that I must have been living under a rock because I wasn’t aware such a thing exists! That’s why I’m even willing to demonstrate that I have no future as a male model to share it with my colleagues or anyone who teaches. There’s a bracket that sits on my chin, keeping the shield properly spaced… the shield itself extends above my nose. I actually find myself forgetting I have it on! D pointed out that I could slip a straw up through the bracket and drink without removing it!

Of course you’ll need to clean it at the end of the day. That’s actually an advantage because it’s a whole lot easier than washing a cloth mask or “overusing” a disposable mask.

Since my blog posts end up on social media, I will note that this is not an invitation to an argument. If you don’t like the idea of the device, don’t use it. If you are tempted to attack me for using it, bear in mind, that I would likely qualify for a medical exemption from wearing a mask at all. So wearing this device is “going above” the CDC’s “recommendation.”

Every once in a while we might want to think about the word “tolerance.” It’s a pretty important concept if we intend to live, work, and learn together.

Every once in a while we might want to emulate D by demonstrating kindness and helping to solve someone else’s problem.

Classes and Courses, Learning, Teaching

Don’t Take this Workshop!

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Seth Godin hit another home run today when he posted some wisdom on his blog about “taking” lessons.

Spoiler alert: He thinks it’s a horrible term–and might be describing a horrible experience. I think he’s right because I’ve recently had to “take” some virtually-delivered workshops. Of course, the “taking” thing isn’t limited to virtual workshops. I’ve “taken” some live ones that we’re pretty horrible as well.

Seth points out “Learning is different. Learning is something we get to do, it’s a dance, an embrace, a chance to turn on some lights.“

That sounds better, doesn’t it?

I’ve been dragging my feet, kicking and screaming before switching over to “Zoom” or other remote platforms. One reason is my belief that without a ton of preparation and some art, virtual workshops become something people take. And, like taking medicine, it can taste pretty bad.

I’d rather we dance, embrace, and turn on some lights. As Seth says, “You don’t take a workshop. You are part of one.“

Classes and Courses, School Programs, Substitute Teaching, Teaching

Substitute Teacher Workshop, RSU 73

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This fun one-day program is designed  to prepare people interested in serving as a substitute teacher or ed tech.  There will be plenty of “hands on learning” that will include important classroom management techniques and teaching strategies. We’ll also cover some legal aspects and help you develop your own “sub pack” of resources and an action plan that will get you started on the right foot! If you’ve been subbing, this is a great opportunity for a “refresher” and some new ideas. Attendees will earn a certificate recognized by many local districts. One student comments, “…very engaging with a lot of real life scenarios. I came away with new information even after subbing for a year.” The program is taught by Walter Boomsma, an experienced substitute teacher and author of the book, Small People—Big Brains, Stories about Simplicity, Exploration, and Wonder.