Aubrey Jewett

Active learning fosters academic success. When students take part in the learning process they learn more and retain more than when operating in the passive mode. Thus whether attending a local council meeting, performing statistical analysis on data to investigate a research question or using the internet to learn about politics my students are expected to be actively involved in their education. Students learn through repetition. All college students can learn the material if they see it, hear it and/or read it several times. I repeat myself in several different ways when there are complex concepts to learn and start each class reviewing the most important points from the previous lecture. I also counsel my students that most will need to review their notes regularly on their own at least three times to really learn the material. Students will work harder and learn more if the course is relevant to their lives. Many students are not motivated to learn material because they believe it has no bearing on them. I always emphasize how local, state and national political decisions affect us directly here in our state in our day-to-day lives. All my classes include a current events component. Students learn more and are more efficient when given objectives. Most students are willing to work quite hard to learn material, and achieve the grade they want, if they know specifically what it is they need to learn. All my classes are given learning objectives and study guides which emphasize the most important points and then tests are keyed to those objectives. Since I believe in using objectives, students discover that, if they know what I ask, they will do well in the class regardless of how well, or poorly, others do. Students (and I) find this to be a more fair and more valid way of assessing what they learned than competing against their peers; it also encourages cooperative learning. Students work harder when they feel that the professor cares about them. Many students, particularly in large sections of required courses, feel they are a number at best and anonymous at worst. I make it a point to encourage attendance, learn my students names and give them prompt written feedback on all assignments and tests. I am a better teacher when I am engaged in research. When I do original research I am more up to date on the current literature and can do a better job explaining how political knowledge is generated.

Ann Marie Whyte

My role as educator is an important component of my contributions to the University of Central Florida. Consistent with my goal of becoming a more effective educator, my teaching style has evolved considerably over the years. I recognize that students learn in a variety of ways and seek to create a rich environment that is conducive to student learning.   Methods of Instruction and Innovations I consistently strive for excellence in teaching by preparing carefully for each class, incorporating student feedback, and seeking to employ innovative teaching methods in the classroom. I aim to build a sense of community and belonging by using teamwork extensively in my smaller classes to solve problems and cases. I also integrate real-world applications into my courses. I believe that when students see the connections between theory and practice their interest in the course is greatly enhanced.   Professionalism and Respect for Students          I aim to demonstrate the highest level of professionalism in the classroom ranging from being professionally dressed to conducting myself appropriately at all times. I respect and care about my students and my genuine concern is apparent to them. My teaching style and personality put students at ease allowing them to interact with me freely both inside and outside the classroom. Students perceive me as approachable and friendly yet demanding academically.   Activities Aimed at Enhancing Teaching I believe that continuous improvement is an absolute necessity. To that end, I attend teaching seminars on a regular basis. I have attended the annual, week-long, summer conference sponsored by the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) every year since joining the faculty at UCF in 1998. I have incorporated numerous techniques from these seminars into my courses.   Relationship Between Creative Interests and TeachingI have never subscribed to the false dichotomy that excellence in teaching comes at the expense of excellence in research and vice versa. I have always believed that teaching and research are complementary, and that my students learn more when I can infuse current academic research into my courses.

Jane Waterman

Science is like a mystery novel; one looks for the solutions to puzzles. I try to bring science alive to my classes, to show them that science is always a work in progress and that it is exciting. I think it is important to integrate my own research into the classroom, as research and teaching are synergistic activities, and I often use data I have personally collected to illustrate topics being covered in class. My passion and enthusiasm for what I study and the research questions I address help excite students about class material. My philosophy is that even though the student may be taking my class to learn specifics about a particular topic in Biology, they will also leave the course with a greater understanding of how good science is done, how to design experiments and how to critically evaluate the evidence given to support or reject a hypothesis. Teaching such critical thinking skills not only helps students to evaluate what they are learning currently, but also provides greater self-confidence in their own reasoning abilities. My teaching methods emphasize interaction with and among students through cooperative learning, class discussion, and encouraging active student input. Learning should not be a passive activity, and students respond positively when they are encouraged to participate more actively in the learning process. I work hard to create an environment where students feel comfortable verbalizing their thoughts. Encouraging them to ask questions will help them develop scientifically because that is what scientists do, ask questions. Even in my large lecture classes, I still use group discussion. When students can vocalize their ideas to a peer before the entire class discusses the topic, they are more confident in participating in the overall class discussion. Promoting a more active classroom keeps students attentive, focused, and interested, which helps them to process and integrate new material. Synthesis is important. Too often students see their courses as separate entities and do not put the pieces together in the larger puzzle of science. In classes like General Biology, where many non-majors students are required to take the course, I emphasize real world examples and relate what I am teaching to their lives. Giving students the chance to synthesize, evaluate, and integrate ideas and concepts at any stage of their university experience will help them to grow and develop intellectually. Regardless of the course topic I am teaching, I approach lectures with a sense of humor and spontaneity. The biggest compliment I have ever received for my teaching occurred last spring, when I had students attending General Biology that were not registered in the course. At first they attended because they enjoyed my sense of humor but some of them stayed because they enjoyed learning about biology. Motivating students to learn is my primary role as a teacher, and I work hard at this challenge.

Melissa Frye

Today’s workplace offers new challenges to students – the options are wider, the demands are greater, and the workplace is less structured. To be successful, students will need to meet the challenges of this type of working environment. A teacher is the guide who helps them prepare to meet these challenges by arming them with the knowledge and know-how to be successful. Sharing knowledge is at the heart of any class. When presenting material, I strive to clearly articulate the concepts and then offer examples so students see how the concepts can be applied. I then encourage the students to ask questions and share their own opinions. Key to the success of this approach is providing an interactive and supportive environment, where students are challenged but assisted to meet those challenges. While students must understand the content of the course, it is equally important that students acquire the skills of learning, including problem solving, scientific inquiry, self-discipline, and self-motivation. Memorizing facts and formulas is only a part of what it takes to master a subject area – the ability to apply this knowledge is where true value is derived. My approach in the classroom emphasizes the application of material to relevant examples that the students may carry forward in their professional life. Keeping students engaged is critical to the success of a class. First and foremost, teaching and learning should be fun. I enjoy looking for new and better ways to present and discuss material, searching for examples to which students can relate. Teaching and learning should also be relevant. I strive to incorporate real-world examples and experiences in my classroom. Creating such an environment keeps the students interested and encourages them to work harder. Helping students learn new and challenging material is extremely rewarding for me. Not all of my students will pursue careers in finance, but the principles they learn can be applied to everyday life and I consciously try to emphasize this. It is my hope that the courses I teach will contribute, at least in a small way, to their ultimate success.

Scott Waring

I believe that education begins at birth and is a life-long process and that all people have the capacity to learn. I believe that all effective educators realize this and embrace their role as a facilitator of knowledge and passion for learning. I believe in a multiple intelligences approach (Gardner, 1993) to instruction, a belief that each person is a unique individual who has a style of learning that is different from the next. I believe that it is an educator’s responsibility to find the most effectual instructional methods for the each unique student. I believe that the development of curriculum should begin with the desired understandings to be gained by the students and instruction should be constructed with these aims in mind (Wiggins & McTighe, 2007).

Historically, the teaching of social studies content is done in a passive and tedious manner, which is evidenced through numerous surveys listing social studies as the respondent’s least favorite subject. I believe that social studies is an alive, active, and dynamic subject that must be taught in a manner in which a passion and enthusiasm must be present and displayed. I am one who insists on practicing what I preach, as I hope to change the outlook for how social studies can and “should” be taught. Real learning must be experiential and meaningful to the individual and facilitate the students' own construction of knowledge rather than forcing students to become passive recipients of “fact-based” content, without any relevance to his or her life.

Students, within a course of mine, will have an opportunity to understand what it is that social scientists do and experience disciplined inquiry firsthand. Traditionally, when it comes to social studies, students are asked to read the chapter, define the vocabulary words, and answer the questions at the back of the book. This is not learning! I believe it is my role to change this mentality and to instill a passion for learning and teaching within each individual who enters my classroom.

Melissa B. Frye

Today's workplace offers new challenges to students­--the options are wider, the demands are greater, and the workplace is less structured. To be successful, students will need to meet the challenges of this type of working environment. A teacher is the guide who helps them prepare to meet these challenges by arming them with the knowledge and know-how to be successful.Sharing knowledge is at the heart of any class. When presenting material, I strive to clearly articulate the concepts and then to offer examples so students see how the concepts can be applied. I then encourage the students to ask questions and share their own opinions. Key to the success of this approach is providing an interactive and supportive environment, where students are challenged but assisted to meet those challenges. While students must understand the content of the course, it is equally important that students acquire the skills of learning, including problem solving, scientific inquiry, self-discipline, and self-motivation. Memorizing facts and formulas is only a part of what it takes to master a subject area--the ability to apply this knowledge is where true value is derived. My approach in the classroom emphasizes the application of material to relevant examples that the students may carry forward in their professional life. Keeping students engaged is critical to the success of a class. First and foremost, teaching and learning should be fun. I enjoy looking for new and better ways to present and discuss material, searching for examples to which students can relate. Teaching and learning should also be relevant. I strive to incorporate real-world examples and experiences in my classroom. Creating such an environment keeps the students interested and encourages them to work harder. Helping students learn new and challenging material is extremely rewarding for me. Not all of my students will pursue careers in finance, but the principles they learn can be applied to everyday life and I consciously try to emphasize this. It is my hope that the courses I teach will contribute, at least in a small way, to their ultimate success.

Lei Zhao

Enthusiasm is the key to the success of an engineering educator. My enthusiasm in engineering and teaching, which propelled me through many years of hard work in pursuit of knowledge and excellence, enables me to instill the same enthusiasm in my students and guide them towards a rewarding career in engineering. Good teaching can influence the life of many young students. There’s no other job that is more emotionally rewarding than teaching. The importance of personal attention I enjoy talking to my students, both in and after classes. In classes, I frequently ask questions and encourage questions from students. I always tell the students that “if you have a question, chances are there are other students who have the same question” and “there is no stupid question.” Outside of the classroom, I make every effort to make the students feel welcome at my office, even outside my announced office hours. The balance between teaching and research Research is another most important task for the faculty at UCF. Sometime juggling between teaching and research can be difficult, but I feel most of time these two complement each other in that good teaching helps me recruit talented student to do research for me and good research could become the content of teaching and greatly stimulate the students’ interest. By teaching large classes over the last few years, I had an excellent access to a large pool of talented students, some of whom I recruited into my research team.

Cynthia Hutchinson

I am a follower of Leo Buscaglia who prefers the term "educator" to "teacher." He explains that "educator" comes from the Latin term, "educare," which means to tend or support the growth of another. That is the role I hope to play in the lives of my students. I am careful to follow A. Bronson Alcott's advice in Orphic Sayings, The Teacher when he cautions: "The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires self trust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciples." I discourage hero worship. I try to help my students be the best they can be. I have private conferences with every student, every semester, challenging their beliefs, questioning their goals, and encouraging them to become self-reflective. My students are my teachers. I am a consummate student. I attend classes, workshops, and conferences with the goal of being the best person I can be. I try to model best practices in my classroom because I believe in experiential learning. If students experience best practices they will be more inclined to use best practices. In the words of John Dewey, "education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

Regina Gresham

My responsibilities are plentiful as I seek to inspire my students with a desire to learn. I consider education to be invaluable. I find the establishment of a positive, caring learning environment, one that encourages students to "believe in yourself with dedication and pride" to be priceless. It is an environment that embraces one's self and the differences of others. It is where learning can and should be fun all while fostering critical thinking and facilitating the acquisition of life-long learning skills. I work to provide a classroom environment that invites all students to experience rewarding success. I know and understand that there are some specific invitations which students particularly need to receive in order to gain the most from school experiences, to have the most positive attitudes toward classroom learning with lessened anxiety, and to be motivated. Therefore, I use a variety of innovative, instructional techniques and methods to benefit all types of learners in the classroom. I work to provide learning experiences that offer quality and authentic content, provide multiple perspectives, involve mindful engagement and reflection, encourage collaboration, incorporate authentic assessment, and actively involve the student in the learning process. Finally, I create an educational culture that summons and empowers everyone involved to become lifelong learners by setting high expectations, demanding quality work, and having fun in the process. I believe that it is important to be consciously aware of the theory behind what I teach and the way that I teach. I think that it is necessary to be aware of the complex interplay that exists between teaching, learning, and curricular theories in actual classroom practice.

Charles Keliher

My teaching philosophy encompasses the following three dimensions:

Teach the technical material (knowledge) and develop students' expanded competencies (skills) necessary for long-term success in the profession.

Bring real-world examples into the classroom and discuss the impact of both current events and current technologies on businesses to reinforce the concepts covered in class.

Treat the students fairly and honestly, which promotes respect, two-way communication and a positive learning environment.

My goal is to give students a foundation to solve the complex problems they will encounter in practice that have no clear-cut answers. They learn to identify issues, to search for and find information in order to evaluate solutions, and to ultimately make a decision that can be substantiated, usually in writing. We focus on:

Why we are doing something, not just how we are doing it.

Is this the only way to do it?

How should we do it?

Is it likely to change?

How will it impact various users of the financial statements?

How does it relate to topics covered:

  earlier in the course?

in other accounting courses?

in other business courses?

What are the ethical considerations?

How does it relate to today’s international business environment?

I also use frequent real-world examples to show how companies use the concepts and practices we are learning.

Nicole Howatt

I strongly believe that teaching makes a difference. I believe that at the root of being an effective teacher is the inherent ability to recognize that a class is composed of individuals, each arriving with a different background and a different set of goals, values and motivations. I must be a figure who the students can relate to, as well as one who is helping to shape, evolve, and redirect their academic journey. I continuously learn from every student I instruct. As a result of this reciprocation, my academic journey continues to be shaped and evolved. Promote high standards, then monitor and reward achievement. By promoting high-standards, I build expectations for success by convincing student’s of their ability to succeed and provide them with successful experiences Establish an atmosphere in which academic goals are emphasized. I implement a clear set of rules through a detailed syllabus. I continuously have a positive attitude and encourage it in each of my students. My preparations for each class are intense, as I prepare for each class as though it is a new one. Because each class is so important to me, I want and expect the same of the students. I reinforce this expectation in my syllabus while rewarding them for class participation. I believe that when each student feels as though they are instrumental in the success of the class and that their input is valued, then they will attend class. Maintain a participatory and orderly environment. I continuously invite guided group discussions. I believe that students can learn a great deal from each other. I believe that learning should be fun. I promote this by being enthusiastic about the material and allowing students to apply this material. I implement real world applications, class exercises, team discussions, cases, and videos. The classes that I teach are generally a businesslike but relaxed atmosphere.

Edwardo Divo

During my relatively long career as an educator in the field of engineering, I have come to realize that a Teaching Philosophy is a product of an evolutionary process that adapts to many different circumstances and that it transcends borders and even language barriers. My philosophy begins by placing myself in the position of the student. I accomplish this by keeping a fresh memory of my years as a student and understanding the difference of what promotes learning and what does not. In doing so, I realize that a university is only made of students, and without them our profession would not exist. As such, I must live by the philosophy that the student is the most important entity in the organization and his/her satisfaction entirely determines my performance. My philosophy emphasizes maintaining an open-door policy, making myself available to student questions, providing support, requiring discipline and responsibility, providing all resources possible, keeping myself up-to-date on all the subjects, incorporating elements to challenge the students' intellect, enhancing my teaching methods with the latest technologies, making the classes dynamic and involved, and assigning work that relates with real-life scenarios. Overall, I maintain the vision and pride that allow me to say that in over sixteen years of teaching, I have never missed a class or had to call upon the attention of a student. In conclusion, my Teaching Philosophy is driven entirely by the students and it is geared towards achieving an optimal learning environment where they can maximize their gain.

Harry Coverston

At the heart of my teaching philosophy is the principle of engagement. There is much research documenting that students who are not engaged in their own learning do not learn as much. In pursuit of that goal I create a wide range of exercises which I collect and grade designed to help students analyze and apply ideas from the course material. I use group work extensively, often breaking down course material into smaller chunks which groups analyze and report their consensus back to the larger class.   A second focus of my pedagogy is an approach which seeks a deeper understanding of ideas, not the mere collection of data. My questions often focus on why rather than what. Indeed, a favorite response to any point raised in class is simply, “OK, that’s the what. Now, so what? What difference does this make?” My goal is to encourage a critical consciousness of the status quo which is often described as “common sense” – Common to whom? Sensible in what way?   My teaching strategies always contain elements of student accountability. Aside from traditional assessments such as tests and papers, these include students working in groups, evaluating their own efforts, those of their group members and serving as an evaluating audience for other presentations. At the end of each semester, students account for the last 25 points of their participation grade through an evaluation of their own engagement of the class (including the reasons they deserve that grade) in areas ranging from preparation to academic honesty. Finally students write summary reflection papers in which they discuss what they know about being human that they did not know prior to the course and what they have learned about themselves – human beings – in the process.   There are many ways to communicate to students that you are interested in their learning. For my classes they include taking attendance, creating assignments due at class which require preparation and keeping regular office hours. I always learn from my students every semester and I observe that in participatory classes, they are able to learn from each other as well.

Houman Sadri

Education is a tool for improving the quality of life. Education is not an end in itself but a process. My teaching philosophy is to encourage critical thinking, innovative problem-solving, practical application of theory, using technology, and tolerance of diverse ideas and cultures from an international perspective. To achieve these goals, I employ an interactive teaching style, which empowers students by encouraging them to contribute to the discussion of both familiar and unfamiliar topics and materials. My teaching goals are both to share my academic knowledge and experience with my students and to inspire and help them to become life-long learners. Active learning fosters academic success. When students take part in the learning process they learn more and retain more than when operating in the passive mode. Students learn through repetition. All college students can learn the material if they see it, hear it and/or read it several times Students will work harder and learn more if the course is relevant to their lives. I always emphasize how international and national issues affect us directly. Students learn more and are more efficient when given objectives. All my classes are given learning objectives and study guides which emphasize the most important points and then tests are keyed to those objectives. Students work harder when they feel that the professor cares about them. I make it a point to encourage attendance, learn my students’ names and give them prompt written feedback on all assignments and tests. I am a better teacher when I am engaged in research. When I do original research I am more up to date on the current literature and can do a better job explaining how international political knowledge is generated.

Jane Waterman

Science is like a big jigsaw puzzle, and each research project is like a piece of that puzzle. To get this message across to my students, at all the levels I teach, I try to bring science alive to my classes, show them that science is always a work in progress and that it is exciting. I think it is important to integrate my own research into the classroom, as research and teaching are synergistic activities, and I often use my own data to illustrate topics being covered in class. My philosophy is that even though the student may be taking my class to learn specifics about a particular topic in Biology, they will also leave the course with a greater understanding of how good science is done, how to design experiments and how to critically evaluate the evidence given to support or reject a hypothesis. Teaching such critical thinking skills not only helps students to evaluate what they are learning currently, but also provides greater self-confidence in their own reasoning abilities.  

My teaching methods emphasize active learning through cooperative discussion, and active student input during lectures. Learning should not be a passive activity, and students respond positively when they are encouraged to participate more actively in the learning process. Encouraging them to ask questions will help them develop scientifically because that is what scientists do, ask questions. Even in my large lecture classes, I use group discussion and one minute essays to stimulate critical thinking.  Promoting a more active classroom keeps students attentive, focused, and interested, which helps them to process and integrate new material. I also like to challenge students with the sort of questions that test their grasp of the subject at several levels of understanding. Giving students the chance to synthesize, evaluate, and integrate ideas and concepts at any stage of their university experience will help them to grow and develop intellectually.

Regardless of the course topic I am teaching, I approach lectures with a sense of humor and spontaneity. Motivating students to learn is my primary role as a teacher, and I work hard at this challenge.

Cecilia Rodriguez Milanes

I love teaching. For me the classroom is a place of excitement, energy, challenge and beauty. Many educational philosophies have influenced my pedagogy, the most important of which is a student-centered and dialogic approach. I strive to empower students, challenging them to become better critical thinkers, readers and writers of the word and of the world—regardless of the course content. I believe that the classroom is a site where all of the members should be actively engaged in their learning process and where I serve as a facilitator, resource and guide in this dialogic process. I believe that good teaching is honest, regenerative, inspiring, challenging and reflective. It is important to me to make the literature and culture I teach come to life and whenever possible I arrange—including finding funding—to have authors, filmmakers, and activists visit UCF and my classes. Since my arrival at UCF, these have included Virgil Suarez, Ivonne Lamazares, Roberto Fernández, Amy Serrano, Sylvia Mendez, Marjorie Agosín, Junot Díaz and Judith Ortiz Cofer. To empower students, I find it important to promote and publish student work. I can confirm from my training and experience that students write well when they have choices for paper topics within frameworks that are flexible and where they can follow their own trains of thought. Since 2003, I have included new original work by six students in two books—one a reference guide and the other, an anthology to be used in writing, ethnic studies, and literature classes. I also coordinate campus exhibits of student artwork produced for my classes. My dedication to teaching involves mentoring at all levels. I work closely with undergraduate students on various research projects and in programs such as RAMP/UP, LEADS, McNair, and SMART. As a teacher I am both inspired and enriched by my students. It is a privilege and honor to be in their company, engaged in the making of meaning and knowledge.

Karl Sooder

Respect is a simple, but a very powerful and dynamic, life change-agent. Ideally, we demonstrate respect for our students, faculty /administration colleagues and community citizens through our personal demeanor, conduct and by our personal leadership both within and beyond the classroom. Respect is at the core of teaching effectiveness with the following process elements included: •Vision: encourage students to continually develop and pursue a life-changing self vision. •Empowerment: provide the democratic environment where students sense the freedom to grow, "to think outside-of-the-box," and develop analytical-creative solutions which are deemed as useful. •Innovation: to bring continual scholarly additions to the class by expanding beyond basic text materials, including the most recent research and data in the field. •Charisma: fully energize the class atmosphere through dynamic interactions, explanations and presentations. •Values: model the key contributions made to personal success and satisfaction made by solid values and good character. •Diversity- maintain a keen sensitivity to the manifold benefits brought to all of society by it inherent diversities (economic, cultural, international, etc.). •Accountability: provide challenges and assessments which are demanding but fair in which student growth and development must be adequately demonstrated. Clear benchmarks and guidelines are established. Consistent grading is maintained. Timely quality commentary and guidance are given. • Availability: be accessible to current, former and prospective/referral students for listening, information, guidance and counseling. • Privacy: recognize the utmost importance of maintaining student privacy and confidentiality. • Return-on-investment: recognize that students invest money, time and, hopefully, considerable personal commitment to courses. Provide them with a solid return that always exceeds "syllabus expectations." •Enjoyment: the mutual learning process is more productive when, in the end, all parties involved can truly feel that the process has been enjoyable. • Self-development: proactive involvement in professional activities including participating in faculty workshops (FCTL), developing course materials and making national contributions to the faculty member's teaching area and to its best practices. •Individual Differences: where appropriate, adapt to the various learning styles evident in specific class sections. As necessary, provide out-of-class assistance to certain students based on the need for differentiating learning. • Technology: incorporate technology into the course syllabus, in-class activities and course projects. •Passion: communicate a genuine love for the process of constant learning, mentoring and coaching as the ultimate source of student inspirations.

Otto Phanstiel

I image myself as a co-journeyer, who walks with students through the key concepts of the course and challenges them to solve new problems using these ideas. Revising and creating new curriculum is necessary to prepare our students for their careers. Over the past three years I have worked with other faculty to facilitate the implementation of the interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Biomolecular Science and the Ph.D. in Chemistry. The challenge was to find a common thread to weave together an interdisciplinary curriculum for students with diverse backgrounds in chemistry, biology and molecular biology. Structure-function relationships were chosen as the focus of the core course. In this manner students can bridge from the atoms-to-the-animals using their understanding of biomolecular interactions. I also revamped Applied Organic Synthesis, CHS 6251, to illustrate modern synthetic techniques using organometallic reagents. This change empowers our graduates to excel in any environment requiring efficient organic synthetic methods. Research students are trained in modern laboratory techniques such as organic synthesis as these skills are necessary for their future employment. The training includes weekly problem-solving sessions, which help students to think critically about their data and lab techniques. In short, it makes them better scientists. Beyond providing a stimulating research environment, I assist students in achieving their full potential as evidenced by their matriculation into medical school or their obtainment of high paying jobs within the pharmaceutical industry. I believe in supporting Orlando's youth and have mentored local high school students and have judged local, regional and state science fairs. Perhaps, the most important outcomes from the students in my group are their numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations and over $1M in acquired funding. Organic Chemistry requires specialized instruction because a new chemical language must be learned. Students must understand why things happen and be able to explain these chemical concepts to non-scientists. By providing a highly structured environment and cooperative learning methods, I maintain a high standard and expect exceptional performance. The best gift I can give UCF students is to empower them with the ability to write and speak intelligently about science.

Lindee Owens

Over the years, some things about my teaching have not changed. I always work hard to make that introduction to college relevant and rigorous. I badger and affirm students confident enough to question and volunteer, and use collaborative learning when a group’s strength cushions the personal risk that accompanies learning new ideas and skills. I give regular quizzes to keep them honest, and open book tests because life is open book. But I warn them that my tests are just like life; there is rarely time to look up all the answers. I have been accused, with good reason, of teaching “guerilla comp,” denying my students the last refuge of high school—the right answer—and insisting that they think and write a well-defended one. In my classroom students are pushed to think further than their first response and affirmed for rethinking and revising. When they write, I teach them to be clear, concise, and compelling. My questions continue because my students are not empty vessels, waiting to be filled. Their slate is not blank. I work to connect what they already know to what they need to know. At the heart of that process is inquiry. Every class period I coax, cajole, coach, and ask them to help me understand what they think. I model the intellectual inquiry I want them to learn. Every text we study begins with the same question: What questions was the writer trying to answer? In the end, I believe that teaching them to find and ask meaningful questions is the best preparation for reading closely, thinking critically, and writing deliberately.

Barry Mauer

A university does not just teach salable skills. It should do that, but more importantly it teaches methods that lead to self-knowledge, critical thinking, citizenship--defined in its broadest sense as responsibility for one's locality, state, nation, and globe--and literacy, which is the ability to read and write at a disciplinary level. There are no shortcuts to achieving these goals, but Socratic dialogue is one of the primary methods the university uses for achieving them. "The unexamined life is not worth living." That is one of the university's main tenets. Socrates' method for examining beliefs was dialogue, which is a mutual search for truth among lifelong friends who are willing to exchange views within a safe environment. The participants in a dialogue exchange beliefs the way initiates in the ancient Eleusinian Rites exchanged clothing; I wear your beliefs and you wear mine. Dialogue is not debate and it is not dialectics--the clash of ideas--in which you hold onto your "truth" with everything you have and try to defeat opposing views. The other participants can comment about the modeling of their beliefs, but in principle participants in a dialogue have to cede some control. The classroom must be a safer place to exchange views than any other place. When someone enters the classroom and takes part in a dialogue, his or her beliefs dissolve into pieces and these pieces get reorganized in different ways. Everything in the space is allowed to become part of the dialogue, and thus the dialogue is very sensitive to the space.