Posted 6-22-01
CLEVELAND -- Mano Singham, principal researcher in Case Western Reserve University's Department of Physics and a recipient of this year's Carl F. Wittke Award for Undergraduate Teaching, attributes his success in the classroom to a collective effort at the University.
"Many people do not realize that the teacher is just the final visible stage of a long process," says Singham.
Not wishing to take full credit for the honor, he elaborates. "For example, to be able to teach effectively at CWRU, you have a university with a reputation that attracts academically-minded students, you have an admission office that selects good students, and a department that is supportive and gives teachers the facilities, software, and other things that enable one to teach," Singham says.
"If I fail at teaching, it would be my own fault," he adds.
According to the 180 students found in his first-year introductory to physics classes and who nominated him for his first Wittke Award, he has not failed his classes in the three-sequence course that is a gateway to the higher-level physics classes. For some students, the course launches a career in science.
While it may be impossible to know every student in such a large class, he has found a way to make it manageable by dividing the class into cooperative work groups of four. This reduces the number to 45 groups in the class. He has each group meet with him within the first three weeks of class to discuss projects and give him an opportunity to have conversations with individual students. The groups also connect students in the large class.
He believes the experiences of working in a group to solve problems are the same ones he has encountered as a teacher.
Singham describes teaching as fun, because it is an opportunity to learn the subtleties and nuances of the subject.
"When you start teaching, you have to constantly ask yourself, 'Why do I think this is true?' instead of taking any particular information for granted or accepting it unquestioningly," says Singham.
For group members, he adds that they have to understand more deeply what they are studying in order to explain and teach it to others in the group.
Singham joined CWRU's faculty in 1989. He came to the University from teaching and research positions at the University of Colombo in his home country of Sri Lanka, Drexel University, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the University of Rochester.
He also has a half-time position as associate director of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE). In his duties, he serves on committees that look at education at the University, plans orientation for new faculty, and assists faculty with teaching issues in their classrooms.
A student wrote in his nomination of Singham, "I have spent numerous hours in Dr. Singham's office, talking not only about physics, science, or academics, but simply discussing life decisions, philosophy, or anything else."
The person went on to say that Singham is "one of the most insightful people I have ever met and has truly become a role model in my life," and praised Singham's efforts for establishing weekly lunch-time forums on current events, his attendance at campus events, and his appreciation of students' initiatives.
Singham's years in the classroom have taught him not to underestimate students and the intellectual challenges they like to encounter. He says that students often find easy and routine work boring, but rise to the challenge when asked to deal with subtle and difficult questions of time or space.
Singham cherishes what he calls the memorable "little moments" in his years in the classroom. They are the times, when students return after winning awards or going on to successful careers, come back to say thank you.
"I like to feel I played a little role in their success," he adds.
