Background:

I have always been a student of nature, of people, of situations, of learning. Growing up on a farm, taught me that learning possibilities are everywhere. Watching my dad fix a broken bailer, taught me to be an effective problem solver. Watching people communicate effectively with body movement and hand-signals over the roar of machinery taught me about non-verbal communication. Listening to not only what an instructor in college said, but how it was said; these experiences influence how I learn today, and how I teach and work with students.

I am a student of all situations.

My role here at UMA is as instructor, but I am also a student. And in turn I also believe that student is only one-facet, one part of who a person is when they come to learn. These statements serve to illustrate my philosophy of teaching & learning.

I believe education is not just about content, not just about topic or discipline; education is about opening the mind and allowing one's self to be inspired by thought. My dad never finished middle school, but has been inspired by what he sees around him. He engineers and builds machinery and equipment that improves working condition for others. Education is experience.

I believe the classroom is not rich because of the content, it is rich because of the many facets of who we are: Linda-working in a mining village in Africa; Pam- Yoga instructor and academic librarian; Vikki-environmental activist and web designer; Greg-Punk Rock band enthusiast and Young Adult advocate; Kate-mother and voracious reader. These unique perspectives bring different experiences, approaches, and arguments to the materials we study and in turn multiply what we take away.

I believe that each individual, what they bring to the classroom, and where they start is integral to the success and outcome of each class. While I may work with a group of 30, I do not teach to a group of 30. I teach, guide, lead, encourage and foster each individual which in turn allows the entire group to develop and reach beyond where we started.

I believe that knowledge and information should never be feared and I work to foster an environment of open communication in all that I do - always seeking and valuing feedback, input, and constructive criticism.

I believe that learning should open others to action, shape behavior, and connect the individual to the larger community and our responsibility to that community.

I wish for my students the moment when the mind is stretched and pushed beyond what is currently known or believed; the excitement of frantic thought, when new concept and new idea work their way around and connect; I wish for them the "aha" moment.

In conclusion, as a student at a state school in Connecticut, which existed in the shadow of other more prestigious universities, I learned something that our UMA students continue to reinforce as one of the most basic truths of learning:

It's not just the education, it's what you do with it.

Henry VanDyke
"the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best"