I believe it is important for a teacher to put a great deal of himself or herself into teaching. Just as there are different appearances people have, different personalities, different ways of looking at things, I think it is important that teachers find the teaching style in which they are most comfortable and work to make that as effective as possible for their students.
Although I attempt to use some innovate hands-on approaches to teaching business, I do not apologize for using lectures to convey information. My background as a professional communicator makes me confident that when students come to class they will find me prepared, informative, enthusiastic, and, I hope, interesting. I like to say that students will reflect 80% of my enthusiasm. If I'm 100% enthusiastic, they'll be 80% enthusiastic. If I'm 20% enthusiastic, they'll be be 16% enthusiastic and so on. As a result, I try to focus my mind prior to each lecture. With all of the peripheral duties professors have, I have discovered that it is important for me to put other things aside as much as possible for 30 to 45 minutes before class so that I can mentally and emotionally prepare to meet with my students.
I recognize that different learning styles and a need for variety mean I must plan classes around things other than lectures. This is why in my classes I have in-class assignments, term project work, and from time to time guest speakers, videos, and internet work.
As a business professor, I attempt to model good business practices in my dealing with students. For this reason, I try to promptly return phone calls and e-mails. I allow students to readily contact me by giving them my cell phone number. I also believe my treatment of students must reflect what I teach about good management practices: always strive for the affirmation of the individual while limiting criticism to the work or to the behavior. Attacking the person is out-of-bounds. These principles are taught by Jesus Christ, founder of the faith to which I subscribe, and I believe they are important features of good interpersonal relationships and a positive professional environment. In addition, I demand the development of good communication skills from my students. While I'm not an English teacher or a speech teacher, I hold to standards designed to impress upon students the importance that business and industry place upon effective communication. And I value punctuality, too.