Christopher McGinn

2012, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Ph.D. Geography

2005, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, M.A. Applied Geography

2000, East Carolina University, B.S. Geography

Teaching Philosophy

Dr. McGinn views the classroom as a learning environment where the students are just as responsible for the course outcomes and dynamics as he is. If he is going to be an effective facilitator of discussions, he must also be an active listener. After all, most students have a preconceived notion of what a geography class is; all too often students enter the classroom with an expectation of being “lectured” to. Dr. McGinn takes great pride in creating an environment of open discourse, often fostered by personal experiences as they relate to social and economic and political policy. He approaches each group of students as an “open book” and believes this approach breaks down the barriers that often inhibit student/teacher interaction. This approach also allows Dr. McGinn to quickly communicate the practical implications of many of the fundamental principles of the geography student’s own experiences.

Dr. McGinn thinks that students completing an undergraduate course in geography should gain critical thinking and problem-solving skills. He feels that one of the biggest shortcomings in education is that many students are not being taught how to think critically. Throughout his time at NCCU, he has experienced a diverse range of students and finds that many of the younger students without “real world” experience lack the critical thinking skills needed to digest information and draw their own conclusions.

Throughout his teaching experience, Dr. McGinn has used interactive class discussions and activities as a particularly effective technique in getting students to think critically and share their reflections on assigned readings or current events and how an aspect of geography has shaped these events. Dr. McGinn thinks that it is important that he empower students to not simply memorize facts but to take those facts and apply them in the context of their own lives in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the social, economic, political and physical world. This will allow students to become better stewards of knowledge and give them the ability to use this knowledge to become better “real world” problem-solvers. The following quote by Einstein helps demonstrate Dr. McGinn's philosophy: “If someone gives me one hour to solve a problem, I should spend 55 minutes asking questions and only the last five minutes using those questions and answers to solve the problem.”