I have been teaching composition for General Studies Writing for over 12 years, two as a grad assistant, one as a part-timer, and the rest as a full-time member of the staff. In that time I have noticed how the demands of my job have changed, as have the students. With these changes, of course, the need to alter my approach to teaching has also arisen so that I might meet these new demands.

Certainly, I have met these challenges head on, addressing issues such as the development of technology and its place in the classroom, the ever-changing policies and standards set by the department, and most of all, the attitudes and abilities of the students; each student, each class, and each semester bring on new situations I’ve never encountered before, and I believe I have adjusted to all of these situations, quite well handling them accordingly, and meeting the high standards set forth by both myself and GSW.

As much as the need for adjustments arise, however, I believe that my basic job component has always stayed the same: It is my duty to help my students become better writers and scholars. The best way to do this is to identify their individual needs and devise a plan to meet those needs. Be it a severe stuttering problem, that shies a student from participating in class, a computer malfunction that has devoured a 12-page essay on its due date, or just the simple call for further explanation of a concept, students look to their instructors for guidance, and it is our duty to provide them with this guidance swiftly and accurately, to the best of our abilities. Standing by this credo has given me tremendous amounts of success, and as long as I hold true to this concept, I think I can continue to succeed as a teacher.

“The best of our abilities” is a subjective term, however. All instructors possess different abilities, different skills, and different personalities that enable them to meet these challenges. For every master of syntax and grammar on our staff, there’s probably another instructor whose best quality is cheerleading, relentless motivation; while this instructor might be really good at structure, that instructor across the hall might have written his/her dissertation on technology’s place in rhetoric. The nearly 40 members of this staff each bring something unique to the table. The students benefit from this, and it keeps me on my toes as well—I don’t want to be the weak link.

If I had to describe my own skill, I’d say it’s a combination of high standards, motivation, and my easy-going personality. By becoming friendly with students, I breach a gap, a gap that can mean the difference between trust and mistrust; trust, of course, is undeniably crucial in the teaching process. When trust is established, then the high standards I set become not only requirements, but personal  goals; the more I challenge my students, the more they seemingly rise to the occasion; the more they rise the occasion, the more they learn. With the proper encouragement (also very subjective), I have seen any given student achieve more than was expected, sometimes more than he or she believed possible. It is this result that makes teaching the profession that I choose, what makes every effort worthwhile, and why I’ll always teach.

In short, if my students can see me as a peer, a mentor, or even a coach—as opposed to an authority figure to fear or hate—then I think my job becomes a million times easier.

I will always have to adapt to meet the challenges of the modern student, whether that’s understanding the latest in technology or updating my assignments to fit their every-changing needs. However, I do believe that my approach will always be applicable, because as we grow as a learning community, students will always need personable teachers who can challenge and encourage them at the same time, teachers who are willing and able to meet any need that may arise.  In short, no matter what year it is, students will always be people, and I look forward to meeting those challenges in the future, whatever they may be (unless students become robots).

Michael Czyzniejewski
mikeczy@bgnet.bgsu.edu

Holly Bird

Paul Bissa

Kitty S. C. Burroughs

Susan Carlton

Joseph Celizic

Abigail Cloud

Karen Craigo

Susan Cruea

Michael Czyzniejewski

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Instructors D -- L

Instructors M -- Z