Editor’s Note: For now over 75 years, The Baylor Line has been publishing vivid storytelling from across the Baylor Family. I don’t think our archives full of deep, inspirational features should live solely on shelves, so we are bringing them back to life in BL Classics. This Spring 2002 article features Q&As with seven notable Baylor professors. We bet you’ll recognize a few!
They are the teachers you don’t forget—the pens who inspired you, shaped your career goals, and made you study more than you thought possible. In short, they are the great teachers.
The Line recently talked with seven of Baylor’s “great” teachers of undergraduate students. These professors come from varied disciplines and have different teaching methods. Some, like legendary physics professors Robert Packard, have been influencing and delighting Baylor students for decades. Others, such as choral director John McLean, are relatively new fixtures on Baylor’s campus. But the one thing they have in common is their professor for connecting with students. And because of that—year after year, class after class, and student by student—they have made their mark on the lives of countless Baylor men and women.
The Line quizzed these teachers about why they chose their profession, who influenced them and what they’ve learned about students over the years. And along the way, as you’ll discover, we even got to the bottom of a few campus rumors and legends.
Elizabeth Davis
- Hankamer School of Business, Department of Accounting and Business Law
- Degrees: BBA in accounting from Baylor, 1984; PhD in accounting from Duke University, 1992
- Specialty: managerial accounting
- At Baylor Since: 1992
Accounting seems like such a cut-and-dried, numbers-oriented discipline. How do you inject creativity and fun into such a course?
I’ve sort of maxed out my brain capacity; I can’t memorize any more. So what I try to tell my students is that if all they’re going to do is memorize information, then it will be no use to them. Instead I present them with scenarios to which they can relate. They remember running a lemonade stand, or they’re dealing with apartments and who gets the biggest room. So I’ll present them with examples they have some kind of context for, and then we’ll apply to the bigger picture. If I can have fun and educate students at the same time, then that’s great.
Has the uncertain economy affected your student’s job prospects?
I used to kind of joke that as long as you were breathing and had a degree, you could get a job. Now I think I’m going to see students being more serious. Grades are going to matter more. Students are ready to start at a $50,000-a-year job. And they want to be supervising people. But the reality is that very few first jobs are going to be incredibly enjoyable. It’s important that students pick what they’re good at and what they enjoy that will also give them the opportunity to find successful careers.
What would a classroom full of Elizabeth Davises be like?
We would get through the material a lot faster, but I really want to help students not to be so concentrated in one area as I was a student. When I was an undergraduate at Baylor, I chose not to be in Sing because how dare could my accounting grades go down? And now I look back and think, gosh, I could have had a couple more Bs and been in Sing. I want students to understand that it’s going to be okay to have some Bs and Cs and to say, “These were the choices I made, and I’m happy with them.” I love my students. I love to get to know them and to find out different things about them. If it was a bunch of “me’s” in the classroom, things would get pretty boring after a while.
Are you good at balancing your own checkbook?
I am really quite good at it. But my husband, Charles Davis, who is also an accountant and is the chair of Baylor’s accounting department, never balances his checkbook. To me it’s like a puzzle. Can I do it with just a pen, no calculator, and make it come out exactly right? I make it a game. For a lot of my students, they don’t have to get it exactly right. Getting close enough is good enough, and that’s fine. I have really had to adapt how I teach people.
Robert Packard
- College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics
- Degrees: BS in physics from the University of Texas (UT), 1949; MA in physics from UT, 1950; PhD in physics from UT, 1952
- Specialties: sound acoustics, underwater sound, theoretical physics
- At Baylor Since: 1952
You’re known for teaching the class “General Physics for BA Students” How did this course originally begin?
When I first came to Baylor in 1952, there was an initiative to establish a measurement course for non-science majors. We had about twenty students at first; now I teach six hundred students in that class each semester. When I was developing the course, I was highly influenced by a book called Science for War-Destated Countries, which advised instructors, out of necessity, teach with whatever was at hand. So I started to do this and then added enough magic to pull some tricks. I built a whole course on the history of the egg.
Tell a little bit about those “tricks” for which you’re so famous.
I developed these tricks to build up the thrill of science as a discovery and to bring to the class the philosophy that science is interesting. Gradually I added features of biophysics and experimental psychology to create tricks that were optical illusions. I read extensively from books all over the world–Indonesia, the African republics, Holland. I developed fire experiments from another professor who was asked to explain the burning bush. Out of that experiment, I created an asbestos halo that I wear. And I always say in class, “I hope I don’t make an ash for myself”/ These kinds of things keep the students interested. And I try never to do a course the same two semesters in a row so that I don’t get bored.
You had a potentially lucrative career in scientific research before you taught. What, then, has kept you in the teaching profession?
You shouldn’t teach if you don’t really love your students. They are extremely loveable, candid, and frank. Over the years, I haven’t noticed any difference in them, other than in their vocabulary. You have to teach the course as though it’s the most important one on campus, but know that it is not. You expose students to models of thinking, but you don’t teach them how to think. By the time they get to college, they should already know how to think.
Over the years, a lot of rumors have circulated about you—that you’re one of the smartest men in the United States, that in a national emergency you could be whisked away to a secret location. Any truth to these rumors?
I can’t tell you how those started or who started them. The more I deny them, the more students think that’s proof of their truth. If students like you admire you, they build up stories around you. I’m eccentric and odd, and I’ve worked hard at it. Of course, my wife, Joyce, says I don’t have to work too hard to be eccentric.
After fifty years at Baylor, you’re retiring this semester. What will you do now?
I wanted to retire on my own terms, not be asked to retire. I could still teach a class now and then, and we’ll continue to travel. I’ll probably do the yard work. I’ve never been retired, so I’m just not sure. I’m already booked for several speeches. I don’t have any free time now, and I probably won’t after I retire either.
Linda Stevenson
- Herrington School of Nursing
- Degrees: BS in nursing from Texas Woman’s University (TWU), 1972; education, with a minor in counseling, from Texas A&M-Commerce, 1996
- Specialties: pediatrics, geriatrics, renal transplantation
- At Baylor since: 1985
What led you to nursing?
I read the Hardy Boys books and wanted to spy. I read the Cherry Ames books and wanted to be a nurse. Actually, I always wanted to be a nurse because it is challenging. You have to stay on your toes all the time.
So why did you move from nursing to teaching?
I was a practicing nurse for eleven years, but when an instructor asked me to speak to one of her classes, I just really enjoyed it. It’s hard work, and there are times you want to pull your hair out, but it’s a lot of fun. Plus, I still get to use my nursing skills, so I feel like I have the best of both worlds.
After two years in Waco, nursing students move to the nursing school in Dallas for their remaining two years. Are they usually ready to make that move?
Some of that depends on if their boyfriends are still in Waco. But most of them are ready to see what nursing is all about. They don’t always realize how much they need those foundation courses—anatomy, chemistry, biology, even those required English courses.
How do you teach such a hands-on field of study?
You show students how to take all that you’ve taught them in the classroom and the labs and apply it in the hospital. Sometimes you’ve got to get it right in there and do a procedure for them. Other times you walk them through it, and still other times you let them do it and help them assess their actions afterward. You ask them, “How could you have done that better? How do you think the patient felt when you were doing that?” A lot of times you’re asking them questions to get them to use their own critical thinking skills to come up with the answer. And that’s where the real joy comes in. The light dawns, and the students put it all together. You can’t teach somebody to care, but if, as a nurse, you know what’s going on with a patient and you understand where they’re coming from spiritually, physiologically, and psychologically, then you can pull all of that together and be a wonderful caring nurse.
What role does a nurse need to play in the medical system?
One of the things that we have to do is empower patients. Part of our role as a nurse is to act as a client advocate and to make sure that the patient does feel empowered. They need to know they have rights, can ask questions, and that they should be able to get an answer. That’s part of our role.
John Mclean
- School of Music, Division of Ensembles
- Degrees: BM in vocal and trumpet performance from Simpson College, 1978; MM in vocal performance and conducting from the University of Texas, 1980
- Specialty: conducting
- At Baylor Since: 1996
What is your musical background?
I’m from North Carolina, so I grew up on bluegrass and country and western. I was a jazz trumpeter, and I had a career as a singer. But when I began working on my master’s, I had to make a choice between voice or the instrument. So, begrudgingly, I made the choice toward voice. As a conductor, it’s been very helpful to have had that instrumental background.
You teach two large ensembles—the Concert Choir and Women’s Chorus. How do you reach individuals in that large group setting?
I first establish who they are and what their area of interest is. I’m a little more demanding with music majors because they will rely on what they’re learning in this group when they begin their professional careers. With the non-music majors, I impress upon them that this singing experience will benefit them in some way, if only to prepare them for singing in a church or community choir some day. I have so many students who will be engineers and doctors and lawyers, and they will one day become patrons of the arts. My job is to also teach them how to support the arts because, without their support, the arts will die.
How do you deal with a large number of artistic temperaments?
There are always people who want to have the opportunity to shine. But there’s fierce competition, because in an ensemble group there are going to be only a few solo opportunities. So I try to give everyone the chance to audition. And I keep an open mind. But once I’ve made up my mind, I try to be very direct. You want to be diplomatic—that’s part of teaching—but you always want to be very straightforward. I think college always shocks freshman music majors because their talents have been noticed and highly regarded. But in college, they’re just one fish in the pond. They will always find someone more talented. This is the real world, and I tell students, “You’re going to have to commit to the development of your own talent in order to rise; otherwise, you’ll just be among the flock.”
Who are some of your favorite artists?
Leontyne Price has one of the great voices of all time, and Charles Holland is a great tenor. My dad is one of my favorites. I love Miles Davis, Count Baise, and Big Band music. You’ll hear from my students that I always use Frank Sinatra and Nat “King” Cole as examples of great singers. It’s not about singing classically; it’s about singing well.
Susan Johnsen
- School of Education, Department of Educational Psychology
- Degrees: BA in elementary education and psychology from Baylor, 1964; MEd in special education from the University of Texas (UT), 1970; PhD in special education from UT, 1979
- Specialities: special education, gifted and talented education
- At Baylor Since: 1989
Was there a particular teacher that helped you decide to become a teacher?
I remember my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Harold, because she was very passionate, and you could tell she really cared about you. She personalized instruction even then. I think that part of being a good teacher is helping people find what their passion is. You always start with the experience of whomever you’re teaching and find out what they have already learned.
What have you, as a teacher, learned throughout the years?
The student knows best, and the student is giving you information as to what he does or does not know. There is an art of teaching and a science. The artistic part involves the personality of the teacher—how I relate to my students, what my own personal teaching style is. The science part is that you have information you need to teach. Now how do you organize that knowledge and bring it to your student?
How do you teach students to be teachers?
The first thing I try to do is model what I want them to do as students. Another important part of teaching is to take a personal interest in the students and have faith that they will, in fact, become who they want to be. To do this I use different methods. One thing I sometimes do is have the student teacher wear a small earpiece in her ear while she’s teaching and I can unobtrusively give her feedback while she’s in the classroom. When I first tell them we’re going to do this, most of the students just look at each other and roll their eyes. But this gives them immediate feedback. We also videotape student teachers and then assess their classroom techniques with them.
What types of Baylor students are pursuing an education degree?
We really try to get more men into the education field, and we try hard to get more math and science teachers. But I think our students at Baylor are more diverse, in many ways, that one would assume. One thing that’s good about Baylor is that students who come here have a sense of purpose. They have an ethic and a standard that I find inspiring as a teacher. They want to do something, provide a service, give back—which is one of the things that make Baylor a special place in which to teach.
Donald Gaitros
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer Science
- Degrees: BS in mathematics from Western Illinois University, 1965; MS in computer science from the University of Missouri-Rolla, 1966; PhD in mathematics from Missouri-Rolla, 1972
- Specialites: simulation and numerical methods
- At Baylor Since: 1973
When did you come to Baylor?
In the late 1960s, I worked as a scientific programmer analyst for TRW Systems in the space program. But I always enjoyed teaching and being with students in a university atmosphere, so I went back to school and got my PhD.I came to Baylor in 1973 and helped start the computer science program. We had one course in computer science then . We now have about four hundred majoring in computer science and three different undergraduate degrees.
Who is the typical computer science student?
There is an international programming contest held every spring, and when it was in Philadelphia recently, the newspaper declared, “The geeks are coming to town.” That’s the perception that people have, but computer science is like any other discipline—you have varied personalities. Certainly, I think we do get a studious-type student. They do spend a lot of time in the lab, but they have to have that dedication and motivation in order to be successful. THe students who are the most successful are the ones who enjoy problem-solving. They get a thrill when they solve a math problem or science problem. A student like that will make a good computer scientist. Because that’s what you do—solve other people’s problems, whether it’s in geology, medical technology, business, or any of a number of fields.
Describe a typical problem-solving exercise in a computer science class.
A lot of times there are group activities at the junior and senior levels, because that’s more what it’s going to be like in a real work setting. Three or four students will work together for half the semester and, at the end, defend their work to the class. Sometimes outside business will be involved. They will give students a project, a real problem they have in their business that they want to get solved. The student will work on it, and at the end of the semester they will present their solutions, which will be evaluated by fellow students, the professor, and employees from the business. Most Baylor students work well in groups because they are people-oriented. From time to time, you’ll have personality conflicts. But they’re going to experience that when they go to work, so they’ve got to learn to work through those things.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I think the thing that makes somebody a successful teacher is caring for the students. You need to really care that they learn, and that doesn’t mean that you’re easy on them. It means that you provide them with opportunities to learn and that you’re there for them. If you can just motivate them, they;re going to learn. And sometimes that’s what teaching is—-motivating them to learn. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to get a class that doesn’t need outside motivation, you can really cover some ground.
Rosalie Beck
- College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Religion
- Degrees: BA in biology from the University of California-San Diego, 1971; MDiv with a church history concentration from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1979; PhD in religion from Baylor, 1984
- Specialties: church history, women in church history, Christian missionaries, Baptist history
- At Baylor Since: 1984
How did you become interested in religion as a field of study, and has it been difficult being a woman in a predominantly male field?
As a missionary journeyman in Vietnam from 1973 to 1975, I taught English as a second language. That experience was so fantastic, I knew I wanted to teach. At seminary I gravitated toward church history. When I joined the religion faculty at Baylor in 1984, I was the first woman to ever teach in that department. And I was the only woman for sixteen years. I keenly felt the need to do what I did as well as I could, and I have always taken my “role model” position very seriously.
Religion, by its very nature, must be a difficult subject to teach. Have you had students who were offended by your approach?
One of the tough realities of teaching is that, at some point, every professor offends a student. I believe deeply in what I teach, and I care about how the students respond to the course material. But I also have a firm conviction—in the good old Baptist tradition—that each person must make his or her own decisions. I listen to the students’ comments carefully, take them seriously, and try to help students realize that there is almost always more than one way to look at an issue. Most of all, I try to help students learn to think, to analyze, and to become aware of the need to employ their minds in the area of religion.
Do you have a favorite biblical figure?
After Jesus, Lydia of Thyatria is my favorite biblical figure. A person of means, a powerful figure on the Philippian scene, she was willing to risk everything for the gospel. From compelling Paul and his party to stay in her home to leading the nascent church of Europe, she was a person of conviction, courage, and love. She was quite a role model.
Word has it that you have a tattoo. Care to elaborate?
I grew up on Marine Corps and Navy bases, and always admiring the tattoos I saw. In 1984 the summer I finished my dissertation and was hired by the university, I fulfilled a life long desire to get a tattoo. Because I do not like pain, I chose the smallest one they had–a rose.
