Lifelong learner and teacher

John D. Lancaster, PhD, is a lifelong learner, and has the teaching and learning experience to prove it. Lancaster, Program Coordinator and Professor in ACC’s Building Construction Technology program, completed his first degree in 1971, and his third master’s in fall 2017.

“I believe we can always learn new things,” he says. “I am constantly trying to improve my teaching skills and to motivate students. You are never too old to learn something.”

A self-described “average pupil” until high school, he felt a personal investment in his education once discovering the library in college. He then began his career in teaching at the secondary level in Boston and realized he wanted to continue his education to become an administrator in the education system.

Lancaster’s degrees are as diverse as his interests, and include a PhD in Education, master’s in English, master’s in technology management, master’s in Education, bachelor’s in history, certificate in Composition Studies, certificate in Carpentry, and an associate’s degree in Building Construction Technology. He is also a licensed builder.

“It’s all connected. We are all literacy teachers,” he says when asked how he became involved with building construction technology.

Lancaster has been teaching for the past four decades and has never lost his enthusiasm. At ACC, Lancaster teaches management, estimating, and classes that deal with reading, writing, and presentation skills. He continuously seeks out innovative teaching strategies and alternative ways of assessment to make his classroom a diverse learning environment.

“I am constantly researching ways to enrich the classroom experience,” he says. “I’m still working at the craft of teaching. Every day is a learning experience.”

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