Richard W. Lippert

I believe that to be most effective as an instructor, a safe environment needs to exist so that it fosters an interactive, collaborative and energized environment that promotes problem-solving and critical thinking skills.  This environment accommodates a variety of adult learning styles and encourages students to present their opinions while respecting the opinions of others. By giving students a voice in class, not only do the students benefit from peer-peer learning by enriching the course material with personal experiences and knowledge, but they also take responsibility for their own learning and, therefore, enhance the integration of their new knowledge into practice. Promoting independent thinking is essential so that students can take what they have learned and apply it in real-life situations. Therefore, I endeavor to make my classroom an arena for students to learn skills and demonstrate outcomes.

To create a safe learning environment, I encourage students to ask questions and give their views on the material we are covering. I solicit anonymous feedback in the form of “one-minute papers” or “muddiest point” from my students about assignments as well as my teaching style, and I then implement student suggestions to improve my service delivery and their learning outcomes. I prefer to utilize small-group discussions both to actively involve the students in their own learning as well as to improve their critical thinking skills.

In order to achieve the ultimate goal of student learning, I strive to implement strategies that create a collaborative and safe atmosphere and encourage the application of knowledge to new situations. I believe that these strategies help students become ready and able to utilize their knowledge in their studies and in their future employment.