While in high school, Eileen Bouchard met a cute boy and fell in love. Turns out, 35 years later they’re still together and still going strong.

Young Eileen also took an interest in styling hair around the same time – and that compelled her to look into the cosmetology field. Turns out, 36 years later, that’s still going strong, too! She’s not only still enjoying that decision and working in the cosmetology industry over a quarter century later, she’s helping others get started in this rewarding career field as well.

Here’s more about Eileen, in her own words: Continue reading

What is a teacher? What is our role? What makes a good teacher great? What makes a great teacher better?  How can I make my classroom more exciting?

Have you ever wondered if a teacher just gets up one morning and jumps into a classroom?  Have you ever wondered why your Nursing, Human Resources, Automotive instructor etc. do what they do?

I’ll tell you, it is a journey. Continue reading

The following is a personal reflection of the Innovations 2016 conference by Bruce Forciea, anatomy and physiology instructor at Moraine Park Technical College:

It’s a Monday evening in Chicago and I am enjoying the wonderful lobby of the Sheraton Grand hotel after another day of the Innovations 2016 conference. The Innovations conference is a national event that showcases best practices for teaching and new ideas for community colleges. I always find conferences and public speaking a refreshing change from teaching my Anatomy and Physiology courses here at MPTC. My presentation yesterday on Audio/Video production went well and afterward I was able to take a deep breath, relax and, focus on learning. I attended a smorgasbord of presentations over the past two days covering a variety of topics. Here are some of the highlights. Continue reading