NFE Reflections Toler 2006-7
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MCC New Faculty Experience Reflections, My Name, My Department, Mesa Community College, Contact me (mailto:myemail)
My Teaching Philosophy
Richard L. Toler, Jr., MBA
Faculty
Business Department
Mesa Community College
rtoler@mail.mc.maricopa.edu
The foundation of my teaching philosophy lies in my desire to be a life long learner. Continuing to learn and grow in my understanding of my discipline and the impact it can have on the world is key to being a good teacher. The challenge is finding ways to guide my students to gaining not only the fundamental knowledge of vocabulary, concepts and techniques of the subject I am teaching, but also assist them in developing the ability to use that knowledge to gain understanding of situations and solve problems we may not have explicitly discussed in class.
As a business educator, my teaching is guided by my desire to 1) assist students in learning how to learn, 2) guide students in learning problem solving skills for real business situations 3) ensure that students produce tangible evidence of their mastery of the subject.
Learning How to Learn:
In planning my teaching, I use the learning styles model that describes people as:
Auditory Learners – Those who learn best by listening to ideas and concepts.
Visual Learners – Those who learn best by seeing visual representations of ideas and concepts.
Kinesthetic Learners – Those who learn best by actively moving, touching or doing.
Given this range, I construct classroom activities that address the needs of all three learning styles. Since static lectures address the needs of the auditory learner, but do little to reach the visual or kinesthetic learner, I present concepts both verbally and in graphic form, using either video, still pictures or diagrams. This helps the visual learners who need a graphic representation of ideas and kinesthetic learners who can better absorb the ideas by redrawing the diagram in their notebook.
I discuss the characteristics of each style with my students and give them suggestions on how to recognize their primary style. Additionally, I discuss things they can do inside and outside of the classroom to utilize their learning style to maximize their educational achievement.
Learning Problem Solving Skills
Business education must focus on developing problem solving skills for real-world issues. Having spent twenty-five years in marketing, in six different industries, I have a wide range of product knowledge to draw on when illustrating a business concept. Sharing this experience in the classroom gives students a glimpse into how the concepts are applied in the real world and how workable strategies are developed.
Case study discussion and group problem solving help increase understanding of business issues. These discussions challenge students to apply the concepts being taught to problems other business managers have encountered. The give and take of discussing an actual business situation helps students explore facets and consequences of different courses of action.
An alternative to case discussions is group problem solving activities. After a brief discussion of the key ideas for the day, I divide the class into groups to attack a business problem and develop a solution that makes use of the concepts being taught. Students then present and defend their recommendations to the class. Group problem solving is important because in the business world people work in a collaborative manner. Students need to understand not only the concepts but also the dynamics of working with others to solve problems. Group activities simulate this dynamic. In both activities, verbal presentations help develop clear and persuasive communication skills which are critical to gaining acceptance and approval for ideas and plans.
The concept of workability is key to my focus on addressing real business situations. Oftentimes students will focus on the goal of finding “the right answer” to a business problem. While classroom tests can be structured so that students must determine the right answer to a specific question, in business, managers strive to find a workable solution. One that 1) is based on facts and strong logic 2) is acceptable to the organization and 3) will bring the desired result. Students must understand that there is often more than one solution that fits these criteria.
Tangible Evidence of Mastery
It is important for students to produce tangible evidence of their mastery of the problem solving skills for a subject. For example, a student in an Introduction to Business class should leave having produced as least one comprehensive business plan or a marketing student should write a complete marketing plan. Having to produce a tangible work product over the span of the semester allows the student to bring together all of the concepts covered in the class and demonstrate their mastery of the subject. These work products are submitted in written form and presented to the class at the end of the semester. If well done, the student will reference these project documents in future classes, job interviews and in their work.
Reflection on Scholarly Teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Before the New Faculty Experience I gave little thought to the the fact that teaching and learning could be a scholarly pursuit. (Hey what do you expect from a guy after 25 yrs in corporate life?)
Finding and developing new ways, as well as preserving some of the old ways, of maximizing the learning experiences for all types of students is a challenging and rewarding endeavor. It is also one of the highest contributions that an individual can make to the community.
I am glad the New Faculty Experience takes the time to introduce new instructors to the scholarship of teaching and learning. This is a pursuit I will engage in for the rest of my life.
Understanding of MCC Culture Gained through NFE
As someone coming to the field of teaching after twenty-five years in corporate industry, learning the ways and norms of academic culture has been the most challenging part of my "joining up" process at Mesa Community College. The new Faculty Experience provided a good introduction to the college culture. There is so much to learn about the college, how things work and how to go about getting things started - let alone how to get them done. Culture is something one must learn over time. The NFE gave me a good introduction to the MCC culture and contacts I can use to continue my "cultural" education.
Impact of NFE on my Approach to Teaching
The lessons I learned from the New Faculty Experience have had a direct impact on my style of teaching. Every NFE meeting gave me up a new technique or a new insight into dealing with my students that I was able to implement in my classroom.
The great thing about the NFE is that teachers from a wide range of disciplines come together to share ideas, techniques and experiences. It is fascinating and enlightening to learn how teaching and learning take place in disciplines as varied as biology, physics, nursing, and elementary education. I have borrowed ideas from them all and hopefully contributed a few valuable ideas from the field of business.
Reflection on my Experience in the NFE Community
Even with all of the stress that comes with the first year of full-time teaching, the new faculty experience became a time I honestly looked forward to each month. I always learned something valuable. Something that made it time well spent.
It reminded me of what it feels like to be a student. Having an occasional reminder of that makes me a better teacher. There is so much to learn. I will miss the regular meetings because I still have so much more to learn about being a good teacher.
Reflection on My Future as a Member of the MCC Community
I feel a deep sense of pride in being part of THE FACULTY of Mesa Community College. I feel very fortunate to be associated with the college that is not only the largest, but is considered the flagship of the Maricopa Community College District.
I feel a strong sense of responsibility to protect and elevate the standards of education at Mesa Community College. In the future, I want to take an active role in improving and growing our educational programs. At the same time I want to explore ways to build stronger links between the college and the community, so that the surrounding residents and businesses feel a vested interest in the success of the college. I also want to help students acquire a level of knowledge and understanding of the area around the school so that they feel a vested interest in the growth of the community.
