Philosophy of Teaching

I use PowerPoint with group discussions & learning games to keep everyone engaged. Group projects, class room activities with prizes and computer simulations are all a part of my teaching process. Videos and actual visits to companies provide repetition and real world experiences for the students. Case studies about real companies and current events help the students stay engaged and keeps them abreast of the continuing changes in the industry. And probably most importantly, I try to the make the learning experience fun. (See IDEAs & Student Evaluations)

I believe it is important for juniors and seniors who are near graduation to know what the current industry tools/terms are and how to use them. Student activities (experiential learning) include such things as learning what “Lean” is and seeing it in action on a visit to a major corporation, what a Kaizen is and getting to participate in one, how to plan a project using Microsoft Project, and hearing from guest speakers on current topics give our students a leg up on their peers which means quicker advancement and an increased possibility for other Graceland students to get hired. (See Student Works & Curricular Revisions for examples)

Not long after arriving at Graceland University I volunteered to take on the leadership role for the Sandage School of Business internship program because I am confident that challenging and informative internships are a significant piece of students’ educations. In this role, I help students from many majors discover their true passion in life.

In the business world, I believe a key ingredient for success is the ability to develop and give an engaging and professional presentation. In all of my classes students work individually and in teams on various types of presentations (power point, pecha kucha & video) to learn what good presentations look like as well as proper attire and presentation skills. (See Student Works for examples)

I also believe that it is my job to help students learn other real world topics (credit rating, benefits – 401k, bonus, etc.) that will make their lives easier so I teach and have guest speakers on these very important topics as well as work with students one-on-one to help them better understand a job offer.

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I am fortunate that my 20+ years of experience in the corporate world enables me to teach theory, discuss/teach how it applies to the real world (what else can happen) and build upon it all with real world processes/examples that enables our students as new hires to be better equipped than their peers from other universities.

Helping students really understand the information presented is the key to success and we know that not everyone learns in the same manner. I strive to incorporate many methods/formats to enhance engagement & understanding.