Joan Linnstaedter, BRTC English Instructor
PARAGOULD, AR. Nov. 16–On Friday, October 23, 2020, Joan Linnstaedter, BRTC English Instructor, presented at the 40th Arkansas Association for Developmental Education (ArkADE) Conference. Linnstaedter’s topic was “Intentional Instruction: Embedding Success Skills in Each Lesson.”
“I grew up seeing a classic math cartoon on my dad\’s office door,” Linnstaedter said. “It showed a math professor helping a student with the steps of a problem. The student wrote that a miracle occurs in step two. For some of our students at BRTC, success feels a bit like step two.”
Linnstaedter explained that the professor says the student should be more specific in step two. “As an educator,” she said, “I am working to be more specific about terminology, reading skills, note-taking skills, time management, attitude, imprinting knowledge, schema, and study guides in every class. Reminders for where students should be in the process and sharing my own process appear to be helping many students find their own path of success.”
As ArkADE is moving toward of mission of success, Linnstaedter says that she is moving toward sharing successful processes and strategies with students in each class. She believes that time management, annotating, note-taking, making study guides, studying, and working on papers in stages are all skills that can be share and developed. “Students need support for how to be successful,” Linnstaedter said, “deliberate guidance in the process of success provides students with strategies for finding what works for them.”
“It’s because of caring and thoughtful faculty like Mrs. Linnstaedter that makes BRTC a safe place to learn,” said Karen Liebhaber, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “Creating a safe environment where students can identify their issues in learning and explore ways to solve them is key to student development.”
For more information about ArkADE, visit the Facebook page. For more information about the academic programs of study, contact Donna Statler, Dean of General Studies, at (870) 248-4000 ext. 4183 or donnas@blackrivertech.edu or visit http://blackrivertech.org/academics.