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Teaching Philosophy of Professor Maurice Hicks
9/28/2004 My interest in teaching was stimulated at a very early age. My inspiration came from my mother and my aunt who have a combined 72 years of teaching experience. I have always been impressed with the relationships that they maintained with their students. These ongoing relationships has lasted decades. I developed my teaching style by using a combination of instructional and motivational techniques that I learned from many of the educators that I have interacted with over the past 40 years. I learned the dynamics of leadership and diversity training first hand by studying under my mentor, Dr. Pete B. Petersen. Dr. Petersen is a retired United States Army Colonel. Dr. Petersen served as a Captain in the Green Beret during the Vietnam War. He returned to Vietnam years later and commanded an infantry battalion in combat for 210 days. Dr. Petersen is a senior professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. As a veteran manager and educator, I bring a real-world perspective to the classroom that students can relate to, appreciate and learn from. It is important that students learn skills that are not only current but immediately transferable to their work environment. To ensure that my students receive up to date information regarding the management field, I constantly interact with managers, researchers and front line practitioners from across the country. Experience has taught me that students’ retention can be increased significantly by touching their emotions. Therefore, I find the use of case studies to be very effective. I enjoy introducing a topic to students and allowing students to discuss their opinions regarding the topic. It is amazing how students’ opinions shift once they are presented with real-world applications of these concepts. To maintain the students’ interest of these concepts, I use a touch of suspense. I will not reveal the outcome of these case studies until the end of the day. According to students, they anxiously await these outcomes. Students respond better when their teacher takes a special interest in them as individuals. They also need encouragement and recognition. If students do not attend class, they are going to receive a check on the welfare call from me. It is not unusual for me to call student’s supervisor to let them know how well a student performed in class. This tends to brighten their day. In my classroom students are encouraged to work in teams. This is an important skill that will help them succeed in both their personal and professional lives. Students are given group projects. Through the classroom experience, they quickly learn the many aspects of group dynamics. It is always refreshing to see students master team building skills. Students sometimes find it easier to relate to someone who has gone through some of the same things that they are going through. Therefore, I like to relate the challenges that I experienced as a working adult such as balancing a full-time job, family and school. Once they discover that I have walked in their shoes, a mutual bond normally develops. This technique is especially effective when teaching adult learners. To be effective in meeting the ever changing needs of our students, I believe that my trainers must actively participate in meetings and workshops. An educator must be committed to becoming a lifelong learner. I have been known to travel across the country to attend training sessions. I believe that the interaction between my trainers, administrators and support staff has been the recipe for our success as an organization. I enjoy keeping in contact with my students. I believe that my role as an educator and mentor does not end with the close of the training session. It is my goal to always be a resource for my students. Our relationship lasts a lifetime. I like to e-mail my current and former students to check on their welfare and to extend greetings during the holidays. It is always pleasing to hear that a student has earned a new position or received a promotion. Many of my students are adult learners who appreciate my personal commitment to their educational endeavors. My personal motivation is constantly re-fueled by the many letters and e-mails that I receive from my students. I am committed to ensuring that no student leaves any of our classes feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged or untouched emotionally by their educational experience. Many of our students find themselves seeking additional training opportunities after leaving our training sessions. I believe this occurs because students learn not only how to apply the training to professional lives, they learn to use these techniques to enhance their personal lives as well. |
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