For he's a jolly good Fellow

Namely, me! Today I fulfilled a promise to a friend and gave a talk on how to get students to write better essays. It was not about the writing process or grammar or spelling but more about communication, interaction, expectations, confidence, anxiety, and understanding the audience (students) so they can be effectively prepared and motivated from day one.

The friend is Stan Tweyman, philosophy professor and master of Vanier College for which I am a Fellow (Stan appointed me a few years ago). I mentor students and other kinds of volunteering but Stan requested I give a talk or workshop to teaching assistants, professors, and academic advisors and I agreed. Today was the day. The talk went well and was well attended. It was heartily received as an insightful look at academic education from the perspective of a professional communicator cum mature student mixed with observations from my many years in the corporate sector as a writer, educator, and trainer.

I am sorry the photo is a bit blurry and boring but it does mark the event. It felt a bit weird taking a vanity photo but I thought it would make an appropriate blip.