Seven Northwestern State University faculty have been recognized with the 2022 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Here is a profile of one of this year’s honorees.
Name: Keith Dromm
Academic college/department: Louisiana Scholars College
Number of years at Northwestern State: 19
Why is teaching important to you? I simply believe in the importance of education. It’s an essential element to every viable solution to any of the world’s problems. The small contribution I make to that is very rewarding. A very different type of reason for why teaching is important to me is that it gives me something to think about, whether it’s a new lecture or course, or new ideas, and one of my very favorite things to do is discuss ideas with others in the classroom.
Why do you believe you are an effective teacher? I am continually revising the way I teach and what I teach. This hopefully leads to improvements in my teaching. One way it may do so is by putting me in the place of the learner. I get to see the subject matter from the students’ perspective. This helps me imagine the most the effective ways of presenting course content to them.
As a teacher, what brings you a feeling of accomplishment when working with students? I like it, of course, when my students are able to answer my questions, but I think a better indication of their learning is when they ask the questions, questions that challenge what they’re learning, identify obscurities or other problems in it, or suggest new directions for it.
Have the last 2-3 years made you a better teacher? COVID has compelled me to innovate and invent in I how I deliver course content. That has made me think differently about what I teach and how I teach it. But I am very happy to be back in the classroom, where the students and I are better able to develop as scholars.
