David A. Padgett

" Education is more than a mere a commodity;
 students are to be treated not as customers,
 but as scholars."

My teaching philosophy is grounded upon three basic principles:

1.  Fifty percent of education is exposure -
that is, introducing students to new ideas  and information sources.

 2. Forty percent of education consists of
independent student research and problem     solving.

 3. Ten percent of education requires effective leadership and
organization on the part of  the  instructor.
 

1. Exposing students to new ideas and information sources:

     Half of my efforts in the classroom are focused upon introducing students to various aspects of geography and environmental science to which they have not yet been exposed.  The overwhelming majority of the students in my introductory courses are environmentally and geographically illiterate, and generally uninterested in the subject matter.  I attempt to first arouse their attention by showing that geography and environmental issues are present in issues they face in their everyday lives.  I reveal the direct impact that the course material has upon their individual daily decision-making processes and events in their local communities.  After this initial exposure, I then direct enrollees to information sources in professional/scholarly journals, local newspapers, and on the internet.  Students are instructed to use the information and data they obtain to solve problems and write detailed essays related to issues discussed in the textbook.  I stress independent problem solving and writing from the very beginning of my introductory level courses.  My examinations are not of the "multiple choice" variety; calculators are off-limits for questions involving basic mathematical computation.  I encourage the use of spreadsheet and statistical software for problems involving large data sets.  I stress fundamental study habits, writing skills, organization, and problem solving so that by the time the students reach the upper-division level (in any subject area), they should be fully prepared for more challenging work.

2. Independent student research and problem solving:

     In my upper division courses, my ultimate goal is to eliminate students' dependency upon the instructor.  One of my favorite quotes is "Never put your education in the hands of anyone who cares less about it than you do" (anonymous).  Most students really want to learn; however, many have a "monkey-see-monkey-do" mentality when it comes to classroom learning.  Breaking students out of this regressive way of thinking is not easy.  In most cases my initial efforts to push students to think independently and creatively about various concepts is met with vitriol, protest, and some amount of confusion.  Eventually, the majority of my students learn that they have all the necessary tools to do the most advanced research.  I do not believe in the "bell curve" theory with regard to student potential.  ANY student, if provided with disciplinary fundamentals and access to information, is capable of doing above what is regarded as "average" work.  For the most part, even under the rigors of my continuous flow of lengthy assignments and projects, the students rise to the occasion.  Many of my upper division students have told me that during the first day of class they did not believe that they could accomplish all of the course requirements, but then wound up surprising themselves by being pushed beyond their preliminary low self-expectations.   My expectation is for every one of my students to EARN A's and do exceptional work.  I fully expect for each one of my upper division students to continue with his/her education by earning a graduate or professional degree at some point in time.  I believe that my confidence in my students' capabilities breeds their confidence in themselves.  I firmly believe that students need and want to be challenged, despite their seemingly incessant "whining" and complaining.  In the long-term they appreciate having been allowed to develop to their fullest academic potential.

3. Organization and leadership on the part of the instructor:

     As I mentioned above, my ultimate goal in teaching is to eliminate students' dependence upon my instruction.  If a student leaves my class at the end of the semester able to do the assigned work only in my presence, then I have not done my job.  In my upper division courses especially, students spend a great deal of time working on their own.  They do not like this arrangement at first, but in the end they are very capable of conducting independent scientific research, operating geographic information systems (GIS) software, and writing effective papers.  My students are also required not only to learn and apply environmental information, but be able to express it in a way understandable to laypersons and outside disciplinary practitioners.  Learning the jargon and acronyms is not enough; we must be able to communicate with those who may be potentially impacted by our research and/or decisions.  This approach places students' work in the context of the "real world."  I use actual case studies, statutes, and research results to develop course materials.  In the constantly changing field of environmental science, it is absolutely necessary that students have knowledge of and be able to interpret current events.  The scope of issues covered is global, especially with populations of developing countries becoming increasing influential upon the world's ecosystems.  With environmental science being a relatively young field here in the U.S., and growing in importance internationally, it is possible for the ideas of today's students to have an immediate impact upon national and global environmental decision-making.  It is my goal to move them forward in that direction and build upon the foundations laid forth in the course materials.