Profiles
Christopher Dickman
Instructor
Education
- Ph.D in English, Rhetoric and Composition. Saint Louis University
- Bachelor of Arts in English. Ohio State University
- Certificate in Computer-Aided Instruction. Saint Louis University
- Certificate in University Teaching Skills. Saint Louis University
Why do you enjoy working with professional degree students?
Professional degree students tend to come to the classroom with a higher degree of purpose, focus, and diligence. It's really an honor to help these students achieve the well-though-out goals they have for themselves and their lives.
How has your experience at SCPS impacted you as an instructor and professional?
Being an instructor in SCPS and working in courses that allow more individual attention for students, I've learned to make my teaching a little more collaborative. SCPS students bring in so much experience and knowledge that good teaching means allowing them to incorporate that background into the course. It often works better to give some guidance and stand aside than to "control" the learning experience so much.
What are some highlights of SCPS that you will remember going forward?
Meeting the students in my classes is always memorable. I love learning about their lives, their motivation for pursuing their education, and how I can be of help in that journey.
What do you want those outside of SCPS to know about SCPS students?
SCPS students are hard-working and motivated in a way that is different from many student populations. The depth and breadth of their experience always brings into the course something that is unpredictable but refreshing. Finding a way to leverage that experience is fun to do.
Recent accomplishments, work, accolades, etc.
I recently spearheaded the development of a new online teaching course for faculty called Online Teaching Fundamentals. With the help of my fantastic colleagues in the Office of Online Learning, we built a 6-module, self-paced, asynchronous course that helps faculty develop the most fundamental skills and knowledge to teach excellent online courses. It was a great deal of work and we're proud of how it turned out.