Primary Instructor HORT 282, Foundations of Horticultural Pest Management (1 credit hour, Spring) HORT 405, Water Issues in the Lawn and Landscape (3 credits hours; online) HORT 515, Basic Turfgrass Culture (3 credit hours; Spring) HORT 490, Horticulture Internship (3-6 credit hours; Fall, Spring, Summer) HORT 550, Horticultural Irrigation Systems (3 credit hours; Fall) HORT 587, Turfgrass Diseases and Their Management (1 credit hour; Fall even yrs) HORT 588, Turfgrass Weeds and Their Management (1 credit hour: Fall even yrs) HORT 589, Turfgrass Insects and Their Management (1 credit hour; Fall even yrs)
Teaching Philosophy My teaching philosophy is a multiple-step approach to truly connect with students and professionals. My teaching philosophy is to be real, reliable, passionate, and relevant in both the classroom with students and out in the field when giving extension presentations. I uphold this teaching philosophy regardless of my audience, whether it is undergraduate students or professionals and practitioners at extension events. This approach helps break down initial barriers and allows the speaker and listener to better relate with one another.
Real, Reliable, and Passionate. I want my students to recognize I am the real me by sharing the real me, which should help break down initial barriers and make the information I present more relatable to the listener. Teachers expect students to be reliable and trustworthy, so teachers need to be reliable to their students as well through teaching and advising. Teachers must rely on students to be able to comprehend and demonstrate what they are learning, and students must also rely on teachers to present course material effectively to achieve the desired student learning outcomes. This teacher/student interaction is crucial in assessing comprehension of the course material. Furthermore, a good teacher and advisor does not always need to be speaking; listening and hearing what the student, advisee, or group is saying is just as important. This requires asking the right questions and patiently waiting for the answer. Moreover, good listening requires considering and processing what I’ve heard before responding. When my students see me as real and reliable, I believe they will also see that I am passionate about teaching horticulture, especially turfgrass science. I hope I can inspire students to recognize and develop their passion, which will hopefully develop a sincere desire to learn and grow in the field of horticulture. Thus, I have realized horticulture students comprehend the course material when it is presented on a personal (real) and passionate level. Students must be able to rely on the teacher and relate to the course material to use it in the future effectively.
Relevant. In the field of horticulture, learning from a textbook and gaining field experience have equal importance, and both should be incorporated together as much as possible. Students need to integrate the knowledge acquired from research-based classroom material with real-world (field and greenhouse) experiences. To build this connection, I share my experiences in the classroom, such as when I applied research-based classroom material out in the field. Furthermore, it is important for students to understand the basic foundations of horticulture, innovative techniques, and the latest relevant research findings. I stay informed on relevant new turfgrass science research, technology, and teaching methods as much as possible so I can incorporate them into the classroom. Some examples would be using alternative delivery methods for course material, utilizing online discussion, letting students take a minute to use cell phones to look up information during discussions, and connecting newly published research with course topics. To be constantly relevant in today’s vastly changing world may not be possible, but teachers must continue to adapt and improve to strengthen their connection with their younger audience.