MCC Daily Tribune

TCC: Kudos for Teaching Excellence Winners!

Thank you for all of the nominations!  Please visit the TCC website to make a nomination: https://www.monroecc.edu/organizations/tcc/

Nominated by students:

Jason Smith, Visual and Performing Arts

Jason Smith completely inspired me in my first college semester.  He pushes students to do their absolute best work and offers advice to get you there.  I had not taken an art class in more than 25 years.  I was way out of my element.  Jason stressed how the importance of craft can take a work of art to a whole new level.  This was opportunity to do well in a class that I had basically no experience in.  He took the time to show me how to use a ruler.  A skill I thought that I had - I was wrong.  He demonstrated how to use an exact-o knife, different pencils to use that were easier to erase.  For a college level class, I felt totally supported.  One day we were in his office and he was critiquing my work and I told him that I wasn’t an artist.  He paused, looked at me and said, “you are absolutely an artist”.  I will never forget that.  It gave me the boost of confidence I needed.  A semester later, I realize that the attention to detail in craft is not taught in every art class.  I am so glad that I learned that skill right at the start of my college career.  It will help me to differentiate myself not only here, but also in the future.

Nominated by faculty:

Lincoln Reid, Biology

With the move to the new campus fast approaching, the amount of packing occurring in the DCC biology labs has been intense!  While all of the faculty in the sciences are working hard to get items packed, Lincoln Reid stands out for the immense amount of added workload he has taken on.  Lincoln is our science team leader for the move.  He has conveyed all the necessary information to us faculty in a timely fashion and made sure all of our numerous questions received answers.  He has taken on more than his share of work and even gave up his spring break to organize and pack boxes.  We returned from spring break to multiple ROOMS full of packed boxes with still more to be competed.  Lincoln has done this all to make sure the college meets the May 31st move out deadline and to allow us faculty to focus as much as we can on teaching our students. 

Elizabeth Johnston, English/Philosophy

She truly puts students first in everything that she does. Dr. Johnston is continually looking for ways to improve her courses, often through modern technologies and teaching methodologies. She is always engaged in some type of professional development, in order for her to better serve her students. Moreover, you can always find her conversing with colleagues across the college, discussing best practices and learning from one another. I truly enjoy my conversations with her, to that effect. Dr. Johnston is highly deserving of this recognition.

Eric Berg, ESOL/TRS

Eric Berg always has students in his office.  They come before and after class and they are there during his office hours.  He can explain how to do a math problem in a variety of ways so that every learner finds can successfully approach that problem in a way that is comfortable and understandable to that individual.  In his classroom, he differentiates instruction so that every student has enough time on task and so no one is sitting and waiting for the rest of the group to catch up.  He provides detailed feedback on homework and an analysis of strengths and weaknesses to each student.  He establishes a comfortable yet professional classroom atmosphere.  Students connect with him and his teaching style so much they want to take their follow on math courses with him whenever possible.   

Mark Sample, AHPS

Mark, like every faculty here, is passionate about his job and helping students. But, I feel there are a couple of things that make him extraordinary. Firstly, his passion for his subject matter is infectious. I have students that hate writing and reading, and LOVE his class. He makes history accessible and fun, unlike many of the students' past experiences of memorization of dates. He is why students play around with idea of a Bachelor’s Degree in History. Secondly, he walks that difficult line between 'hard but fair' amazingly well. His students describe him as down to earth, but I know for a fact he is straight with his students when they are not doing well or are falling behind. He reaches out to them directly, and listens to their problems...but is fair about their issues. Thirdly, he goes the extra mile in regarding to students with personal issues. Students with PTSD, troubles at home, etc...he not only finds out the resources here on campus for them, but asks questions about other services, so he better understands how to refer his students to them and advocate for them.   

Adrian Smalls, Criminal Justice

Having the office right next to Professor Smalls gives me a ringside seat at the constant stream of students going in and meeting with him. In countless instances, I hear how Adrian gives them supporting encouragement about their career and academic goals and see students leaving with smiles on their faces. Whenever I speak to students, they cannot stop "raving about Professor Smalls!"   We are all so proud to count him among our colleagues in this teaching profession.

Jim McCusker, ESOL/TRS

Although Jim is a first year Transitional Studies instructor, he is not new to MCC. Jim has been an adjunct assistant professor with the English department and a tutor with the Writing Center for several years. He is an innovative instructor who is always striving to create a positive and engaging learning environment for his students. In addition, there is always a line of students waiting for his one-on-one help during his office hours. He demonstrate kindness and patience with these students and they often return to him for help in their other courses. Jim always offers students a “care package” of healthy snacks before they leave his office because he knows that students are often hungry and are unable to purchase additional snacks. Many students have stated that Professor McCusker has not only made them better readers and writers but also better students. Jim McCusker is an excellent teacher and role model for MCC’s developmental students.

Paul Emerick, Biology

Being next door to Biology Professor Paul Emerick is similar to attending a TCC sponsored event on promoting student success.  Students often come to Paul’s office to seek advice on how to improve their performance on his Anatomy and Physiology exams, and I have had the privilege of overhearing many of these conversations.   Paul starts by asking them a series of questions on how they prepared for their last exam.  Based on their responses, Paul engages in a dialogue with the students, suggesting specific active learning strategies to help them understand and apply the concepts.  I also get the sense that he is carefully monitoring their emotional response since he often asks if they understand what he is suggesting.  Paul then puts the ball squarely in their court and asks the student how they will change their behavior as they prepare for the next exam.  I am always impressed by the positive and encouraging tone of voice Paul uses when speaking with his students.  My impression is that by the end of the conversation, the students feel a sense of empowerment and are motivated to improve their performance in his class.  If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then I owe Paul a great deal of gratitude.  Hearing Paul interact with his students has provided me with a model to engage with my own students in a productive fashion.  In summary, hearing Paul speak with his students on how to be successful in his class is like listening to a seminar on growth mindset. 

Eugenia Merliss
Teaching & Creativity Center
05/16/2017