- Faculty; On Location
Colleen Lent says her skills have come a long way since teaching her first Continuing Education course at Southern New Hampshire University.
“When I first came into the classroom, I stood there and talked at the students for two and a half hours,” recalls Lent, who teaches communications and English at SNHU’s Manchester Center.
“It was a learning experience,” she continues. “By the next year, I was facilitating group discussions and finding interactive ways to present the material.”
For example, students might divide into teams for a round of Jeopardy, competing for prizes such as a reporter’s notebook or candy bars.
“Questions are based on class assignments, but questions about a 'Seinfeld' episode or Red Sox statistic do crop up,” Lent explains. “It’s a great way to reinforce core concepts, encourage teamwork — and have fun.”Lent also shares her own experiences as a journalist and communications professional.
“I use a lot of real-life scenarios,” she says. “In a class on interviewing, I might talk about how to deal with someone reluctant to talk, or how to recover from a no-show and still meet your deadline. It’s another way to make the material more meaningful.”
