Week One
1) Getting to know your student (various learning styles, multiple intelligences, etc. ) and tapping into your best skills as an instructor, coach or facilitator (what is the significance of those terms anyhow?)
2) Practical Concerns for teaching successfully - planning, physical set up, social and emotional balance
*Golds will be exploring their prior teaching and learning experience - who they work well with and who they struggle with; showing their spaces for analysis and discussion as to making it the best space it can be.
Week Two
3) The class dynamic - why it varies, how to keep it positive (positive isn't just for the dogs!)
4) It isn't personal ... how to deal with the difficult student
5) Private lessons/group lessons/seminars and workshops - selecting what works best for your situation and subject
*Golds - examples from your life, reviewing formats for each type of learning, and deciding where to focus your energy
Week Three
6) Differentiation in classes - including the animal partner! How do you support the person who just can't learn what you are teaching?
7) How your students affect what you can do
8) Proper lesson planning and curriculum development - samples and models
*Golds will be doing lesson and course planning (with assistance and feedback).
Week Four
9) Creating "safety" in learning environments
10) Teaching students to play and enjoy learning
11) Staying on track - what to do when you get off course!
*Golds - show me your teaching and your challenges either via video or written word
Week Five
12) Impediments to learning and overcoming them - specific challenges and your own case studies
13) Assessment as, for, and of learning; evaluation strategies that work for sports classes - why evaluation matters for your students
*Golds- putting what you learn to work via example and your actual cases
Week Six
14) Having fun with education, for everybody – you, the student, and the animal partners; case studies - what would you do?
15) Getting feedback from your students - how to develop honest feedback and how to use it well!
*Golds - reviewing your plans and goals and problem solving
Silver students will be welcome to share their triumphs and tribulations in the course as well as ask content related questions but gold is where you will be actively planning and looking at your own programs/goals for concrete feedback.
*Golds should also expect homework - reflection, introspection, analysis. Video of you teaching (and sometimes learning) is GREAT and welcome but not a requirement of the course – there are many ways to cover the material.
Instructor: Andrea Harrison