Enthusiastic Engagement: A Teaching Philosophy for Bill Lammers

Goals in Teaching

My primary goals in teaching are to help shape independent, enthusiastic learners who become educated citizens in our society, to encourage learning beyond memorization, to foster cooperative learning rather than competition, and to achieve these goals by building a trusting and respectful relationship with my students. I want students to learn how to learn. I want students to realize how the information that is learned in the classroom is applicable to themselves and the roles that they play in our society. This will not be accomplished by simple memorization of information. They must learn how to hold the information in their hands, turn it around, view it with a critical eye, squeeze it, juggle it, and throw it onto the wall to see if it sticks. They must also learn how the eyes and hands of others can aid this learning. Cooperative learning should be a goal in every class. To accomplish goals such as these, it seems critical that the instructor develops a healthy relationship with the students. Students will challenge themselves if they view the instructor as someone who cares deeply about their education. I make it a point to quickly learn the names of all my students each semester and to always call on them by name.

There are many aspects of teaching that hold great meaning for me, from the large General Psychology class to the one-on-one mentoring. I get "pumped up" by a clear, crisp lecture where I can see that I have captivated the attention of every single student. I enjoy looking out over a classroom, seeing students working in groups - discussing, debating, learning, and knowing that I created the situation but that they are actively grappling with the information. I am particularly pleased to see a student who has been struggling begin to understand and become successful in the course. I thoroughly enjoy being a mentor for a student. The one-on-one environment provides a wonderful opportunity to make an important impact on an individual's career. With some students, I can see growth and development over a timespan of years and know that I made a difference.

Approach to Teaching 

Active learning, critical thinking, and writing have become general principles for me. To an extent, I have found that the less I talk, the more I teach. I still believe that a clear, concise lecture that is presented with vigor can be a very effective tool in teaching. However, the shed has many tools. The tools that I use most frequently involve all three principles noted above. A typical sequence would include students getting a short lecture, getting into small groups with each group getting a challenging question (questions that require integration or application of the information), discussing the question, writing their collective response, and preparing to present their response to the rest of the class. Everyone is involved in everyone else's learning.

While the above is probably the most common technique that I use, each course has its own personality. For example, in Statistics I work especially hard to create a community of learners where each student is responsible for helping others and is also responsible for requesting help when they feel "lost". They are encouraged to call me during the evening or on weekends when they get stuck on a problem. In Experimental Lab, I tell the students that they are a research team. They are responsible for generating ideas, critically evaluating those ideas, forming hypotheses, collecting data, analyzing data, and writing reports. I want to create an environment where they rely upon and learn from each other.

I continue to explore the ways that technology can be used to enhance learning. In my Physiological Psychology courses I have developed Powerpoint presentations that provide a clear outline for the topics and include many scanned images that help students to visualize the part of the nervous system being discussed. With a National Science Foundation grant entitled "Infusing Technology into the Psychology Curriculum: A Model Laboratory to Promote Scientific Thinking", I established a computer classroom with 20 PCs and revised the curriculum for Psychological Statistics, Experimental Psychology, and Experimental Psychology Laboratory to use computers to teach scientific concepts. I have taught each of these courses in the computer classroom and continue to look for ways to enhance learning with technology. I am very pleased with the initial results and very excited about future possibilities.

My teaching extends beyond the classroom.  I collaborate with students on research and assist them with presentations at conferences.  Each spring, I arrange for groups of students to attend two regional psychology conferences and I teach an informal seminar to prepare some of our best students for graduate school.  Much of my recent research involves the scholarship of teaching and I believe that my research on teaching has informed me of the factors that lead to student learning.

My passion for student learning is the driving force behind my efforts to develop an effective approach to teaching. Without this passion, I might not work the long hours it takes to continually improve a course, I might not apply for travel money to attend teaching conferences, I might not urge students to come to my office for help, I might not organize all of the out-of-class learning activities, I might not experiment with new technology and techniques, I might not learn the names of all the students in my classes, and I might not spend my morning shower thinking about the classes to be taught that day. I am happy to say that my passion continues to grow.

Other Quotes That Reflect My Philosophy

 “All genuine learning is active, not passive. It involves the use of the mind, not just the memory. It is the process of discovery in which the student is the main agent, not the teacher.” (M. Adler, 1987)

 “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.” (Confucious)

 “The most important method of instruction always has consisted of that in which the pupil was urged to actual performance.” (Albert Einstein)