by Marc Nobleman
The Prof Questionnaire #1
Twenty revealing questions with star professors and education thought leaders. Their challenge: their answers could not be much longer than the questions. Enjoy—class is in session:
Bryon Lee Girgsby, Senior Vice President and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Shenandoah University
What is your favorite aspect of teaching?
When it seems like God comes down and touches the students with divine knowledge.
What has been the biggest change in education since you started teaching?
Educating the federal government.
What is the biggest challenge in education today?
Educating the federal government.
What was your biggest fear on your first day of teaching?
That someone would stand up and say s/he was the expert on that topic.
What is the most memorable compliment a student has paid you?
“Would you do the marriage ceremony for me and my husband?”
What has been the most profound lesson you have learned from a student?
That learning is a two-way street and that sometimes we learn more from the students than we give.
What quality do you most admire in a student?
Enthusiastic interest in Life.
What quality do you most appreciate in a colleague?
Enthusiastic interest in Life.
What is your strongest quality as an educator?
Sense of humor. Students are highly entertaining.
What word or phrase do you most overuse while teaching?
That’s awesome!
What word or phrase do students most overuse?
“Will that be on the test?”
What is the greatest benefit technology has provided you as an educator?
The portable computer: laptop, iPad, iPhone, etc.
What is the most frustrating experience you’ve had with technology as an educator?
None. Technology always works!
In terms of technology on the job, what is at the top of your wish list (whether or not it already exists)?
A program to truly identify the students who need my help and what type of help that should be.
If you use Blackboard, what is its greatest advantage to you?
A place to house and organize documents and learning artifacts.
What would be your first suggestion on how to improve Blackboard?
Learn from Google and make life easier for us.
Who is the most passionate educator you know?
Dr. Robert Burcaw, emeritus professor, Moravian College.
What has been your greatest accomplishment as an educator?
That Richard Godden, one of my students, went on to complete a Ph.D. in medieval literature.
What is a goal you are working to achieve as an educator?
To make the students’ lives a bit more messy, a bit less black and white.
What question did we not ask that you would like to answer?
“Why would anyone move from faculty to administration?”
I’m still trying to answer that!
Educators—want to be featured in a future Prof Questionnaire? We also want you to! Email me at Marc.Nobleman@Blackboard.com.
Inspired by the Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair’s popular feature which was in turn inspired by writer Marcel Proust.
