Michael F. Fox
Mike Fox has, until his recent retirement, been a teacher for
more than 39 years. Some 36 of these years were spent at Carleton
in a department where until recently the faculty all knew one
another and their students, and where devotion to students was part
of the departmental ethos. Among the many teachers who conducted
themselves with enthusiasm for the "task eternal" (Carleton's
motto) Mike Fox stands out. This is not because he has been good at
his job, and he has, but because he believes he has been privileged
to be able to contribute to the needs of students.
He has taught courses variously described as "introductory",
"statistical ", "aerial photography" and substantive course in
"agricultural geography". That the subject matter of introductory
and agricultural geography might appeal to a large number of
students is perhaps understandable, but few students elect to take
statistics and only do so because it is a requirement of the
program. Yet Mike, as in all his courses, obtained scores that
exceed departmental, faculty and university means, and amazingly
these scores held from first year through the graduate years. Most
university lecturers rejoice in their achievement as students come
to realize the truly formidable talent that is in front of them;
unlike most, this is clear about Mike Fox from first exposure! How
is this enviable record achieved?
One answer is that Mike has long employed new technical and
pedagogic insights to advance the cause of learning, including in
his most recent phase, the incorporation of sound and visualization
techniques into web-based courses. A second is that he has actively
researched how these materials are received and has published his
results in the appropriate learned journals to assist others. As a
result of his class room experience and his research activity he
was asked and agreed to serve as associate dean for many years so
that appropriate guidance might be given and meaningful policies
relating to teaching implemented. Yet one suspects that this was
not the most compelling reason for his appointment to this position
nor the fact that his classes have been so well attended. Rather,
it is because of a reputation as a caring individual who is always
available inside or outside the class room, one who is always
willing to serve, and to do so with a tremendous sense of
humour. Again as educators we have all known professors,
thankfully few, who though they have little substantively to impart
do so with humour and enjoy student support. This is not the case
here because though Mike actively employs laughter he also
approaches his work both with substantive insight and contemporary
knowledge but also with a philosophy of education.
Fox believes (1) that teaching per se is but one aspect of a
larger learning process (2) that while learning takes place in a
variety of ways " through visual, auditory and practical
('tactile") means, the "normal " form of delivery has been
auditory, and he seeks to broaden this, matching the predisposition
of particular individuals to specific learning approaches while
recognizing that the difficulty of this increases with class size
(3) that his job includes not only imparting substantive and
conceptual material but a love and appreciation of the subject
matter and (4) a capacity and desire to solve problems through the
development of capacity to reason and the adoption of
appropriate skills (5) that whatever the success a student
ultimately achieves, by whatever route, each must be
accorded respect and dignity though the expression of that
need not always be identical. This wins the respect of
students and hundreds of letters from his students have drawn out
these points though in a variety of expressions and some more
articulate than others. One of the better letters noted that "Good
teachers share knowledge in order to awaken the mind, not to prove
theirs is superior" (Kawika). Surely that is the ultimate
compliment for a life spent in the service of others.
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