2004 Accinno Teaching Award
Professor of English

Links
> providence magazine article
> what his colleagues say...
> faculty profile
> news story
 

from providence magazine, summer 2005

The many teachers in Lynch

When it comes to teaching, it might be said that Dr. Stephen J. Lynch has a split personality. When Lynch began instructing students of English literature two decades ago, he emulated a few professors who had influenced him. Now he is all of them and more.

"I no longer want to be the one teacher I most admired," Lynch said. "Instead, I want to be several teachers: the one who struts about the room, the one who sits calmly on the desk, the one who gathers students in a circle, the organized lecturer, the negotiator of lively discussions, the teacher who argues and defends a position, and the teacher who asks probing questions without committing to any particular view."

That continuous effort to become the best educator for each classroom scenario has earned Lynch the respect of his Providence College colleagues and students and led to his selection as the 2004 Accinno Faculty Teaching Award recipient.

Constant change
Students will never get the same Lynch course twice. The former University of Georgia and University of North Carolina-Asheville teacher, who earned his Ph.D. in English from Indiana University, prides himself on changing his syllabi each semester. In addition to adding new readings, he experiments with teaching techniques: students in a Shakespeare course had to produce 10-minute videos depicting scenes from one of the bard's plays. While an innovative approach to learning that Lynch gave mixed reviews ("the results ranged from clever to funny to god-awful"), the more serious academic goal underlying the videos was learning to think of plays both as text and performance.

"I am always striving to make my courses more engaging, meaningful, and invigorating," he said. This type of teaching not only keeps the students engaged, but also ensures the classroom experience never becomes dull for Lynch. "After 20 years of college teaching, I often walk out of classes feeling exhilarated."

That does not mean it is all fun and games. Lynch requires preparation and focus of his academic charges. "In class, I am as relaxed and cheerful as can be, but I also require weekly short essays or response papers to ensure that students keep up with the readings," he said. "In my experience, I find that most students not only learn more but enjoy a class far more if they are habitually prepared, and if they are in the company of students who are likewise prepared. And that, I admit, takes a bit of coercion."

That pressure is always underscored by Lynch's respect for each student as an individual, which is at the core of his teaching philosophy and matches the Dominican goal of educating the whole person. "I think that students want to be liked and respected more than they want a particular grade," he said.

Community contributor
Outside his courses on Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, and British literature, Lynch has been an extremely active member of the Providence College community since he joined the faculty in 1992. He marks his team teaching in the keystone Development of Western Civilization course as his greatest contribution to the College, calling it "a superb learning experience for students and faculty."

In 2004, he became the director of the Liberal Arts Honor Program after eight years as its associate director-while also serving as a faculty senator since 1995 and as an advisor, presenter, fundraiser, and member of various committees. His scholarly writing includes several published articles and two books, Shakespeare's As You Like It: A Guide to the Play and Shakespearean Intertextuality: Studies in Selected Sources and Plays. He has also helped bring his favorite dramatist to the stage at UNC-Asheville, where he directed a production of The Winter's Tale.

In spite of these accomplishments, the Accinno teaching honor is a milestone for Lynch. "I prize the award more than the two books I have published," he said. "For me, teaching and interacting with students is the most important part of the job."

He admits, however, he has been "a bit anxious" on occasion since receiving the award: "If students come to class expecting some sort of razzle dazzle every day, they will be disappointed. Sometimes learning is fun, but it is always hard work."

Students may not see light shows or even different personas every day, but Lynch's constant efforts to innovate will undoubtedly dazzle everyone he teaches.

"Steve is a delight to have as a partner in team teaching in DWC. His wit, good humor, intelligence, and wide learning stimulate and teach those who teach with him. His approach to learning is not confined by the limits of a particular discipline, so integration and broad understanding of ideas and culture become a natural part of his teaching."
      -- Dr. Mario R. DiNunzio, professor of history

"Steve is generous to faculty as well as students, and I have always found him particularly eager to welcome and to assist younger colleagues beginning their careers here. In and out of the classroom, he's an exemplary colleague whose commitment to the life of the mind enriches our campus community."
    -- Dr. Suzanne J. Fournier, assistant professor of English and associate director of the honors program