Some thoughts on teaching ...

Like I mentioned up front, teaching was not what I had in mind when it was time to say goodbye to high school.  It took one "Aha" moment for me to realize where my path would lead me after looking back on an array of experiences in the travel industry.   I believe that your teaching style is greatly influenced by past teachers you had through school, college and in life.  Unfortunately, the "bad" ones come to mind immediately, but thankfully also all the outstanding good ones.  As every teacher would tell you, you try to pick the best from both groups - how to teach and what to avoid.

My favourite part is when I can take students out of the classroom.  Nothing I can discuss in the classroom compares to the learning curve that happens when hands-on experiences are happening.  That moment when you see the lights go on is the moment when I feel "yes, that's why I do this".   It involves some risk taking (after all, taking 40+ students out of the comfort zone of the classroom is a leap of faith), some planning, but the pay-off is huge. 

Another area I like to experiment in is creating differentiated evaluations.  More when you leaf through this chapter.

What subjects or courses do I teach?

Well, like my colleague Ryan would say "what course has Anke not taught yet?" :)  Hey, there are a still a few left, but yes, I have got a good number under my belt by now.   Here is a list of what I have taught so far:

In the Tourism Diploma Program:
Sustainable Tourism
Niche Tourism
Marketing for Tourism
All three Selling Destinations Classes
Business Practices
Tour Guiding
Customer Service
Customized FIT Travel

In the Bachelor Degree Program:
Intro to Tourism
Canadian and International Travel