Contact

Contacting Ken

For many of you it may seem that office hours are for when you need help with a specific problem or possibly to discuss a problem with a grade on a quiz, assignment or exam. To be honest that seems true from the point of view of many faculty and often these are seen as difficult situations.

Learning is a social process and I want you to feel free to come visit me in my office (or communicate online) at any time that works for you.  I truly enjoy the one to one (or small group of students) interaction in my office space. If the office space seems crowded or difficult we can even meet outside or at the coffee shop.

I want to quote what Adam Heidebrink-Bruno writes in an excellent post aimed at teachers improving their syllabus (Page One to us at Tec) which I agree with heartily:

There is no shame or embarrassment in asking for help, although it is common to feel anxious in approaching one’s teacher. To enter my office and ask for help is an act of bravery. To enter and chat about nothing in particular often leads to new insight. Both are valuable. Both show that you trust me. I promise to respect you and earn that trust through compassionate listening and understanding. As a teacher, I know there is a power-relation between us. As best I can, I renounce this position. Think of me as human, imperfect and vulnerable just like you.

I can’t promise to be in my office 24/7 but I also find the standard specific “office hours” to be non-functional. It forces the faculty member to sit in their office at those times and more importantly restricts the options for students.

Communication Forms

The official method is via email at kenbauer at tec dot mx

You can also send direct messages via Twitter, Facebook or other methods for quick contact.

Appointments/Office Hours

If you would like to meet with Ken outside of class, please make an appointment with his scheduling system hosted with YouCanBookMe. This will allow both you and Ken to know when the meeting is and ensure we are both ready for a productive one-on-one session.

The sessions are in blocks of 15 or 30 minutes since those tend to be the amount required, you can always meet for a longer time by booking multiple sessions. If you need to cancel, please follow the instructions you receive in the confirmation email or contact Ken directly.

Where to Find Ken

Online via Zoom. Check our course on Canvas for the details of how to connect with Ken for office hours.

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