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Teaching |
Teaching interests
My teaching interests are in ecology,
biostatistics, and vertebrate zoology. I currently teach courses in Biostatistics
(Biol. 254) and Herpetology (Biol. 416); I also participate in departmental Seminar
(Biol. 440). In the past, I have taught courses in Ecology, Ecology
Lab, Vertebrate Natural History, Vertebrate Morphology, Animal Physiology, Developmental
Biology, Mammalogy, Ornithology, Embryology,
Mammalian Dissection, Environmental Science, and Christian View of Science and
Scripture.
Teaching recognition
Harding University recognized me with Distinguished Teacher
Awards in 1994 and 2001.
Teaching philosophy
When I was in college trying to find my niche in life, I was
resolute that one thing I would never choose
to do was teach. Today, after over 37 years of teaching, I obviously
either did not have a choice or else I changed my mind! Perhaps in
denial, I still do not regard myself primarily as a teacher, but I do regard
myself as a biologist who teaches, and I think there is a subtle, but
important, distinction between the two viewpoints. I do not identify at
all with some of my education colleagues who say it doesn't matter what they
teach. The thought of speaking in front of a group sometimes still makes
me quite ill (not surprising, given my highly introverted personality), so
there must be something else that drives me. What is it that motivates me
to do something for a living that I said I would never do? The answer is
really pretty simple. Although I am not particularly motivated by a love
of teaching, I am highly motivated by a love of nature, and I quickly learned
in graduate school that it was in academia where a biologist had the greatest
freedom to practice biology however he desired (in comparison to governmental
and industrial positions). So fundamentally, I teach because it's a great
way to practice biology. I am indeed a lucky man to be paid to do
something that I have been doing since my early childhood (albeit at a
different level of sophistication) - and that is sharing my childlike
fascination with biology with others. The distinguished biologist Whit
Gibbons once stated, "Wonder at the natural world should be an
underpinning of any biologist. Discovering how the natural world works
and explaining it to others are the ultimate validation of one's professional
merit." Whit - I could not agree more!
Another significant influence on my career decision occurred
in my late twenties several years after I had committed my life to
Christ. As a biologist and a Christian, I felt
compelled to share God's Creation (in the broadest sense) with others.
King Solomon once stated, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter - to
search out a matter is the glory of kings" (Proverbs 25:2). That
statement, which I believe is a statement of fact, made a deep and lasting
impression on me. What a tremendous opportunity and privilege it is for a
Christian biologist to "search out" what his Creator actually did,
and still does, to make the Creation (=nature) work! One might be wise to
consider that ignoring or belittling His Creation, whether in stewardship or,
for some of us, in serious study, may be akin to blasphemy. The eminent
Harvard biologist, E. O. Wilson, recently stated, "Each species, to put
the matter succinctly, is a masterpiece. It deserves that rank in the
fullest sense: a creation assembled with extreme care by genius." I
do not know whether Wilson's "creation by genius" referred to God's work, nevertheless, to a Christian biologist the statement
is highly thought-provoking and certainly is one that drives me in my work.
Admittedly, my level of enthusiasm is often not shared by my
students, and I sometimes think they feel that my expectations are too high,
but I realistically don't think that they are. The lack of expectation or
exposure to a serious learning atmosphere at home, school, or in American
society in general results in many of today's college students being less than
committed to real education in any area. One of the great tragedies of
the high school experience is the social pressure to not let yourself get
excited about learning - definitely not cool! Unfortunately, many
students bring this infectious baggage with them to college, and it is an
attitude which intellectually debilitates many students, even some of our most
talented.
As an experienced biologist and teacher, I know that
understanding biology requires an appreciation and understanding of the dynamic
process
of science as it relates to biology. It is unfortunate that many
undergraduates resist the effort that is required to understand the process of
scientific problem-solving in lieu of simply learning techniques or memorizing
static biological "facts" (which result from the process and which
constantly change because of the process). Students need to understand
that possessing high-tech skills and a storehouse of facts is valuable, but
having these and lacking an ability to ask and answer questions about nature
makes you simply a technician
- not a scientist.
Often related to this superficial factual/technique
orientation so prevalent in undergraduates is the worshipful attitude toward
the almighty grade point, often seen in competitive, high-ability students. I sometimes tell such extreme grade-centered
students, "Do not let classes interfere with your education!"
Grades are surely important, but when grades are viewed as an end to themselves
and more important than education, it is basic understanding that usually
suffers. When I reflect on my best and most successful students over the
years, rarely have they had the highest grade points, and never did they have
an attitude of "grades rule," but they all had, to varying degrees,
these important characteristics: problem-solving ability, perseverance, high
work ethic, the ability to get along with others, and, perhaps most
importantly, an interest level that led them to actively pursue biology
outside-of-class.
Now that you've heard some of my personal views regarding
teaching and learning, you might ask yourself these questions: Do I like nature?
Do I think
about biology? Do I read
serious biological material that is not a class assignment? If your
answer to these questions is "yes", then you probably will enjoy and
benefit from my classes more than many.
"...the primary goal of schools is to impart enough facts
to make children stop asking
questions. Some, with whom the schools do not succeed, become
scientists."
-Knut Schmidt-Nielsen