The Roman philosopher Marcus Cicero once said: “The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn." My previous endeavors in Africa involved encouraging teachers to get out of the way of students’ learning. I believe that one of humanity’s greatest gifts is that of curiosity. By creating a challenging learning environment that allows for success at every learner’s level teachers promote knowledge acquisition and a desire to learn more. In Africa the primary obstacle to learning was a teaching paradigm and in America it is teaching to a test, each are adequate methodologies but yet incapable of tapping the innate curiosity of humanity. My philosophy of teaching involves introducing the student to relevant theory and/or scholarship, creating a co-learning environment, and infusing theory through experiential processes.

Generally speaking, textbooks are guides highlighting areas within a discipline or course giving rise for the instructor to elaborate from experience and extensive reading. Textbooks introduce theory within the construct of its origin yet rarely do they incorporate theory into meaningful and relevant real-life scenarios. Memorizing the Leadership Grid has some value by making students aware of the five leadership positions. However, leadership today requires more than a paradigm; it requires understanding the implications surrounding each style’s use in a globalized world. By taking advantage of case studies and, when available, a diverse classroom, I like to explore a different culture’s perspective on a particular style. Students also get to expound their learning through a storytelling exercise that relates their exposure to one of the leadership styles.

Some learning environments are stale, stagnant, places where learning is a unidirectional process. From the first day of class, students are informed that my classroom is a co-learning environment where we all, including their teacher, will learn. Students, especially those with difficulty learning, need encouragement and motivation to participate in the learning process. Teaching the professor can open the veins of curiosity where a deeper exploration of a topic takes place. This is where my passion for teaching came from and I know there are others that will take this bait and run with it! Teaching is more than regurgitating knowledge it is about laying a foundation of curiosity from whence a lifetime of learning takes place.