Feature

It’s a Long Term Impact: Teaching for Future Success and Impact

By Brandon Horvath, Ph.D.

Teaching by its nature is a thankless job; it’s difficult to judge how effective you’ve been in the moment. Sure, there are tests and assessments one can use to determine how much has been ‘learned’, but those tools do little to capture the impact you’ve had on a student over a longer term. So, you often find yourself in a place where you don’t really know how you’ve done as a teacher until after the teaching is ‘complete’. Similarly, being a student isn’t exactly easy, nor what you end up doing when you move to the “real world”. I hate that term. The real world is where we are right now. It’s the ups and downs of being a student, learning new things, while juggling work commitments, social agendas, and parental expectations. Not to mention one’s own expectations, hopes, and dreams.

Wes Mackie – Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club

Honestly, the relationship formed between teacher and student when it’s done right should be one that lasts. Someone that the student can call upon when they need an unbiased perspective and someone that knows them and believes they’re capable of excellence even when they might not believe themselves. That is what I love about my opportunities to teach students in the Turfgrass Science and Management program here at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It’s being able to see the growth of a person from being a novice to capable professional. It’s being able to show them how to identify a grass in the introductory turfgrass lab, to assessing a complex problem in the turfgrass strategies class, to taking a phone call about a new job opportunity and talking about the impact that might have on their burgeoning family.

Accomplished teaching is a long-term commitment, and I’ve been able to reflect this past year on just how much impact I’ve had on students that have made their way through our program, and the impact that my colleagues have had on our students as well. The purpose of this article is to share with all of you just a few examples of what we do, and how committed we are to establishing long-term relationships with our students that tell us just how well we do at that job called “teaching”. I asked several of our students and alumni that you’re about to meet what it is about me and my colleagues’ teaching that has had an impact on them as they are navigating their careers. Their answers are insightful, and I think demonstrate that we are doing an exceptional job developing connections that will last.

“Doc(s)”

One of the things that comes with getting a Ph.D., if you’re not conceited or arrogant, is that you never quite get used to (at least I don’t) being called Doctor. Both Dr. Sorochan and I have plenty of stories when we were asked to call a professor by their name instead of referring to them by their more formal title. Both of us regularly encourage our students to call us what makes them comfortable, but with some limits; our last names are fine when referring to us to others, but I’m not a buddy or friend, so when talking to me, Doc, or my first name is fine. I know Dr. Sorochan is similar, and we both certainly don’t want an email that just says, “Hey, I need...(fill in the blank)”.

We spend a lot of class time talking about professional behavior and the importance of communication, and it’s obvious that it does have an impact because many of the students I contacted relayed how these concepts have been important in their careers. One example comes from Tyler Baker, who graduated in 2012 and is General Manager of Common Grounds Landscape Management, where he mentioned as one of the Top 5 things he learned in school that “Networking and developing professional relationships will make your career easier.” The same holds true for 2020 graduate, Ryan York, “Dr. Horvath was one of the main pillars in my education. His network is one of the largest I know. Doc was and is still the guy you can go to with any questions not only about turf, but how to set and meet your goals as well as opportunities in the business.” Superintendent of Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club in Branford, CT and 2013 graduate Wes Mackie, says of Dr. Sorochan, “I think of Doc as ‘The Indiana Jones of turfgrass,’ he’s always on an adventure, and his awesome attitude is contagious. He taught me to view problems through a different lens, and that has undoubtedly helped me as a golf course superintendent.”

The importance of communication and networking was evident in every response from every student we interviewed for this article. I know from my perspective that having 2012 graduates to 2022 future alumni saying they know how important professional communication and networking is to professional success serves as an indicator that what we are teaching is being absorbed and acted upon, and that is a good sign of true learning.

Ryan York – Valhalla Golf Club

Spreading Wings

Another consistent theme throughout the interviews with current and former students trying to understand the impact their educational experiences have had on their career preparation was the importance of the internship. Internships can be varied in their depth, duration, and impact. In the turfgrass science and management program here, Dr. Sorochan and I believe that students need to push the boundaries of what they think is possible and to spread their wings and experience an internship that is in line with their career goals. Jimmy Humston, 2011 alumnus, and superintendent of The Lido, the newest course added to the renowned WI golf resort, Sand Valley, captured what our goal is with student internships, “The connections I made through my first internship, while at Tennessee, have paved the way for all my career moves thus far.” Mackie says, “My internship was at Quaker Ridge in Scarsdale, NY, and if I hadn’t gone there, I guarantee you I would not be where I’m at today.” And even with the impact of Covid-19, the importance of internships has not diminished, with current student, Mitch Penn (2022), saying, “I think my two internships (both affected by Covid-19) have been extremely influential to my success. They’ve allowed me to apply the knowledge I’ve gained in the classroom into the field. It has also gone the other way around; there are things that I’ve learned on my internships that have helped me in the classroom too. They are a great way to start building your network and creating opportunities for post-graduation positions.” It’s clear that our students value the time that they spend in the field putting their education to work on deep, rich internships that help them get started on a successful career path.

Overhead in progress view of The Lido, where Jimmy Humston is superintendent.

Photo Credit: Brandon Carter

Your Younger Self

I said at the beginning that it is hard to know how good a job one has done as a teacher in the moment. I think it is equally difficult for the student to know how something will impact them at the time they are taught. It is only after some reflection, growth, and life experience that things start to make sense. I asked these students what advice they’d give their younger selves in an effort to tease out things that have impacted them. They didn’t disappoint, and I’m heartened to see consistent themes come out of these bits of advice that I and Dr. Sorochan try to impart to them.

Jimmy Humston at Sand Valley.

Photo Credit: Jeff Bertch

Jordan Clark (2012), Superintendent of the Links of Kahite in Tellico, TN says, “Listen, be observant, have an open mind, you’ll figure it out later. Challenge yourself, ask more questions, and take risks.” Humston echoes this, “Don’t get fixated on a course, area or even region. Have an open mind as you never know where your job will take you.” Baker talks about the comfort zone, “Don’t stay in the comfort zone just because it’s easy. You’ll miss opportunities for better things.” Our soon to be alum Penn is insightful, “Do a bit more digging, you never know what you’ll stumble upon.” I’m constantly amazed at the growth students display as they make their way through our program, and I can’t help but feel proud at the students that we are fortunate enough to have in our care for a little while.

Long-Term Impact & Future Success

It is rewarding to see the impact that you have on your students not just professionally, but in their lives. I had a chance to chat with a student about a job opportunity that would require a move just the other day. Our conversation wasn’t about growing grass or fungicide programs. It was about how a move like this was going impact his growing family, and what he thought about that. If I could give my younger self some advice, it would be to emphasize to my students the importance of the big things, and not to worry so much about the details. I try to do that in class. I want them to understand that the materials and detail is only useful if you can communicate it to others and use it to solve problems. I often get asked why I ask exam questions that require a written response. The why is that I want to see how they are thinking, reasoning through a scenario, because that skill is what they need to be successful in the future, not which fungicide they should use to control dollar spot. I count myself fortunate that I’ve been able to develop these longlasting relationships with students where they want to come back and involve me in their careers, which to me is the primary indicator that they’ve been taught effectively. I love teaching. And I’m appreciative that they’ve let me be their teacher for a little while.