David A. Gershaw, Ph.D.
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Myself. I have been teaching psychology and sociology courses at Arizona Western College since 1964. Before that, I was an instructor, teaching assistant and research assistant at the University of Arizona, while I was doing my graduate work. I finally received my doctorate in 1975. I attended various workshops in psychology and take courses at AWC. My most recent courses were Web Page Development (Spring, 1998) and Digital Photography (Fall, 2001). In May 1999, I retired, but I taught one section of Human Sexuality until 2002.

I wrote a weekly column, "A Line on Life," on psychological topics from 1983-1999. It appeared in the SuperShopper, a free ad booklet available in front of grocery stores in the Yuma area. These articles allowed me to pass on information to the general public, to keep current on trends in psychology, and to sharpen my writing skills. 

Although retired, I still keep busy volunteering. I volunteer at the main desk of Banner Del Webb Hospital, reading monthly to first grade classes via BookPALs, tutoring on message boards on Jiskha, and lecturing to RISE at Rio Salado, high schools and other community organizations. (The list of some of my topics are below.)

My Family. I was married September 1, 1957. My wife and I have four children. My only daughter and first born is a calligrapher. She and her husband live in the Denver area and work for Ball Aerospace. Our first-born son is an AWC graduate who has a Bachelor's Degree in Business and works for Avnet in the Phoenix area. Our middle son, Randy, lives in Israel with his wife and five children. He graduated from DeVry and is currently doing construction work in Israel. Our youngest son lives in Phoenix. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Services and is currently working for American Express in Phoenix. We have 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.

Two Hour (or less) Talks Available 

Nonverbal communication or “That isn’t what I meant to say.”

How we communicate above and beyond the words we use — with our dress, time, posture, facial expressions, voice tones, social distance and touch — whether we are conscious of it or not. The talk will also include ways to make you a better communicator and help you to understand others more. (Handouts)

Verbal Communication or “How to say what you mean.”

Ways we misuse language in communication and how to make our meaning clearer to others. (Handouts and carousel slide projector)

The Art of Listening or “That isn’t what I heard.”

How to pay better attention to what is being said and understand what others are saying. (Handouts)

Dealing with Conflict and Problems or “Can we agree to disagree?”

Discusses and demonstrates some more effective methods for conflict resolution and problem solving. (Handouts)

“Isn’t that Frustrating?!” 

Discusses causes of frustration, factors that increase or decrease feelings of frustration, along with effective and ineffective ways people respond to frustration. (Handouts)

Dealing with Stress or “This is too much!”

Covers the causes of stress, how stress effects the body and some ways of coping with stress. (This topic can be specifically related to dieting — “Your loss is your gain.”) (Handouts)

United States Sex Mores or “Why do we feel about sexuality the way we do?”

Discusses possible origins of sexual values in ancient Judaism, early Christianity and other sources to indicate how they affect us today. (Handouts)

Growing old or merely older? 

From birth, we are growing older. Even with the slowing down of aging, there are ways we can still live happier and more productive lives. (Handouts)

Basics of Judaism

Discusses similarities and differences between Judaism and Christianity along with major holidays and traditions. (Handouts)

I am willing to consider other psychological/sociological topics, if advance time is given for preparation.