Megan Endres didn't dream of becoming a teacher when she was a child. She wasn't sure what her future held, even after she finished her master's degree. After a year of unemployment, but lucky enough to have a supportive husband, she took a job with a temporary agency.
She never guessed that, 16 years later, she would win the Ronald W. Collins Distinguished Faculty Teaching II Award. This award is given to faculty who have taught at Eastern Michigan University for at least five years. Endres received a plaque and a $3,500 honorarium.
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A CLASSROOM MANAGED: Megan Endres, an Eastern
Michigan University professor of management,
teaches her "Business Statistics" course. Endres
recently was awarded the Ronald W. Collins
Distinguished Faculty Teaching II Award. |
"Sometimes, when you don't know what you want to do, you have to do jobs that you don't like, to find out what you do like," Endres said.
Teaching in her fifth year at EMU, the assistant professor of management was humbled after winning because of the large number of talented and qualified teachers who have taught at EMU for a longer period of time.
"There are so many amazing professors, especially in this department, and I feel like I don't know what they know," Endres said.
Endres received her doctorate in management from the University of North Texas, and her master's and bachelor's from Texas Christian University. After working in advertising, editing, copywriting and business research consulting, Endres moved from Colorado to Michigan to teach at EMU.
She loved conducting research, but working alone became tiresome and she missed interacting with people. Teaching had always been something she thought about and she decided to make it her mission.
Endres envisions herself as an active guide in her students' learning. She demands to be part of each student's schoolwork to help lead him or her in the right direction.
"I love the challenge of engaging the bored student or providing an 'a-ha' moment to the confused student," Endres said.
She has consistently received a score above 4, on a rating scale from 1-5, on her student evaluations. Her overall average in undergraduate and graduate courses is 4.3.
"Dr. Endres is the epitome of teaching excellence. She distinguishes herself by going above and beyond the call of duty in developing her students. I have never had a professor more available for contact outside the classroom," said Kyle Rhoad, an M.B.A. student who nominated Endres.
Other than winning this award, Endres is most proud of teaching a variety of courses. She enjoys the excitement of a fresh start each semester and the challenges of teaching a new course.
"A totally awesome part of our job is saying, in the middle of the semester, 'I can't believe I'm teaching this class.' But, it's a rewarding challenge," Endres said.
Endres is preparing to teach the statistics course, DS 265, in the fall. She received a dean's grant last summer to collect research for her current study on knowledge sharing in the classroom, which she will finish this summer.
"Group work is used so much at the College of Business," she said. "I am researching when it is appropriate to use and when it's not."
Although Endres loves teaching and building relationships with her students, she also is passionate about conducting research. The two complement each other very well. She shares the results of her studies with her students and encourages them to do research themselves.
"I can't imagine only doing research at the University of Michigan or only teaching at a community college; the two go together so well," Endres said. "Working with students in independent studies, who are interested in research, and helping them publish their own material is the most fulfilling part of my job."
Endres also is conducting research on mediated learning. Raising a child with autism has drawn her attention to the different challenges students encounter when learning new material. She hopes that by enlightening professors to various learning styles, it will enable them to teach more effectively.
This research is important to Endres because, she believes, the number of students graduating from high school and attending college with learning disabilities in on the rise and will continue to increase. Her study also examines cultural influences on learning.
"People who don't have a background in business learn differently than people with a background. I enjoy watching the transition of that freshman to the professional senior they become when they graduate," Endres said.
"Dr. Endres is totally devoted to her students and spends a great deal of time making sure students learn the material. She is constantly searching for new ways to present material and be more effective in the classroom," said Richaurd Camp, a professor of management, who submitted the nomination packet on her behalf.
Endres has a long list of publications, beginning with her doctorate research. As a consultant, she published in management journals and conference proceedings. She plans to publish the results from her knowledge-sharing study next summer.
Although Endres wasn't born with a pencil and a grade book in her hand, she has mastered the art of teaching, according to her students, by making herself available and by always guiding them in the right direction.
