I became a better education facilitator when I began to be authentic. I was recognized for my impact in the classroom in 2020 with the Outstanding Professor Award, by the Bowie Teachers and Leaders Alliance, for my pedagogical practices and efforts with students inside and outside the classroom. I taught traditional age, the working adult population, international students, in class and online. I elevated every aspect of my students academically. They were exponentially better writers, orators, speakers, studiers, articulators, researchers, critical thinkers, and arguers. My colleagues would ask how I would have all of my students in the chairs before my classes even began, and my Chair was amazed at the grades, and the students' proficiencies at semester's end. I showed up to class wearing t shirts and Jordans, or when the weather was nice, Id have my motorcycle jacket, boots, helmet, and bookbag.
My heuristic approaches and usage of OERs cultivated an environment where learning was multilateral, the discussions were lively and engaging, and instead of my students playing on phones or falling asleep, they were anxious to get into the dialogue, and they were reading the textbooks as well. They wanted to go up and present, the embraced the questions by their peers. They also went on to do better in other classes, and even graduating with honors. I also spent time acclimating new professors to our program by guiding them with syllabus creation, grading policies, and how to cut a lot of the arguing and theatrics that students love to give at the end of the semester. I coach educators how to really make the class run very efficiently and allow you to essentially be a moderator. I coach on practices on getting the students excited to present in front of others (as we know, people are more afraid of public speaking than death, lol), and keep the class engaging. It was rare that I even opened the book to read more than two sentences in a class. I also coach fellow educators on essentially having the students teach themselves through classroom activities and peer reviews.
Teaching is something I enjoyed, and my students knew it. But what people want are relatable people and mutual respect. A conversation with me will leave you with outstanding and impactful suggestions that you can implement instantly to create a more fulfilling and rewarding classroom experience. I personally taught my classes as "the professor I wish I had". A coaching session for the classroom is one of my favorite sessions to have. If you request a session about setting your class/syllabus up from the first day, I will coach you on creating an environment that will manage the class on its own without much frustration on your end. You will end the conversation feeling much more equipped and confident in classroom management and being able to teach at your best, knowing your efforts will not be wasted.
