Faculty Excellence at UMUC

Interviewer:

Please tell us about yourself—what made you decide to teach at UMUC? What kind of work do you do when you are not teaching at UMUC? Are there any life experiences that have influenced your teaching at UMUC? If so, please share one story.

Pong-su Kim:

I've been teaching for over 25 years. Prior to joining UMUC, I taught at Kyemyung University. In 1985 a friend of mine introduced me to the UMUC programs. It didn't take me long until I found it a quite challenging job. I am grateful that I have made the right decision. For me "Teachng is learning." When I am not teaching, I spend my time reading literature, traveling, and hiking in the mountains.

At first, I was surprised to meet students with different backgrounds who were from multi-cultural environments, but now teaching at UMUC has helped me to have a global outlook. I find that adult students usually achieve more than they had expected as they are highly motivated to learn. Part of the pleasure of teaching is watching my UMUC students overcome obstacles as they know a good education will definitely improve their lives.

Interviewer:

How would you describe your teaching style or philosophy? What experiences or person(s) have influenced your style or philosophy?

Pong-su Kim:

As I teach the Korean language, my teaching style is "Practice makes permanent." I emphasize, "Use it or lose it." When I am teaching at UMUC, I have to speak English. I know how hard it is to study English. Therefore, all I have to do is reverse the way I think - not from Korean to English, but from English to Korean.

Interviewer:

Please explain if you do something special or unique in your teaching and what made you develop this.

Pong-su Kim:

On weekends I invite the same number of Korean students to meet with my UMUC students so they can mingle - studying, exchanging ideas, and playing games.

Interviewer:

What do you think it is about your teaching style that appeals to students?

Pong-su Kim:

I have found that by allowing my UMUC students to interact with Korean students on weekends greatly instills their eagerness to study Korean much more than they showed in regular classes during the week.

Interviewer:

Do you teach face-to-face, online, or both? Do you have a preference between teaching face-to-face and online? If so, please explain.

Pong-su Kim:

I don't teach online. I only teach face-to-face. I would like to teach online, too.

Interviewer:

Please tell us about your chosen discipline-i.e., what made you interested in the area initially? What do you do to stay current in your discipline? What do you like best about teaching in your discipline?

Pong-su Kim:

Being Korean, I take pride in teaching Korean language, culture, and history. To stay current in my discipline, I am developing some new skills by which my UMUC students can learn Korean not only to speak, but to write effectively. What I like best about teaching Korean to UMUC students is the pride I feel, without fail, when I see my students speaking and writing Korean at the end of each session.

Interviewer:

What is the most challenging to you in teaching in this area? What teaching strategy do you use when you encounter the challenge? Are there any special challenges in teaching this subject matter online?  If yes, please explain what could be done to meet the challenges.

Pong-su Kim:

The biggest challenge I have is the students' challenge too. Their military duty often interferes and prevents them from attending classes. That's why I offer them Saturday afternoon extra study sessions on weekends.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to students who are interested in majoring or working in your discipline?

Pong-su Kim:

Teaching isn't always easy, but if you know your subject and can communicate well with others, you should do well. At least give it a try!

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the college of choice for students?

Pong-su Kim:

Unlike other universities, UMUC programs follow our students wherever they go and encourage them to pursue their educational goals. With continued encouragement from both UMUC staff and faculty members, they will achieve as much as they want.

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the employer of choice for future faculty members?

Pong-su Kim:

At the end of each session, I always have a sense of accomplishment. That means a lot to me and is a bonus above my salary. The school is highly respected in the field, and I take pride in belonging to UMUC as a Korean language professor.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to new faculty who are interested in teaching in your discipline at UMUC?

Pong-su Kim:

Teaching small groups of students at UMUC helped me a great deal in finding my students' latent abilities while providing more personal attention to each student. As I make an effort to increase their strength and decrease their weakness at the same time, it is exciting to see them make steady progress towards their goals. What I do is not only show them the right way, but I lead them to the right way in practice. The result is that I see the students' genuine strengths come from within.