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I teach a range of classes related to sport management to undergraduate and graduate students. I am very grateful for this opportunity that has been bestowed upon me as an educator. As educators, I believe it is imperative that we realize that the learning that takes place in the classroom is shaping the minds of future leaders in the workplace and society. The writings of Paulo Freire have greatly impacted my views on teaching, as he emphasized the idea that teaching is not only transferring knowledge but also includes opening the door for students to produce or construct knowledge of their own.

While my research is typically based in a sport context, my teaching approach tends to do the same, borrowing from a number of successful coaches. For instance, in sports, you will find that many athletes are proponents of coaches who favor an attacking style instead of sitting back and letting the opposing team dictate the game. In this sense, I like for my students to constantly question and critically think about class readings and lectures. I believe this paves the way for the construction of knowledge, as aforementioned by Freire.

Likewise, my goal is to create a classroom environment where all students can realize their full academic potential. For instance, to better communicate with students of this generation, I employ Facebook and Twitter in the classroom, among other traditional tools such as Blackboard. I have found this to be very successful. Discussion that initially commences through Facebook group communication and/or ‘tweets’ eventually leads to classroom discussion, as the students feel more comfortable to voice their opinions and questions in the classroom.