Beukelman retirement reception May 5

14 Feb 2014    

Passion for teaching and keeping students actively engaged in the learning process is John Maag’s trademark as a professor of speech language pathology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Education and Human Sciences. For his talents as a teacher, Maag has been selected for the Donald R. and Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence. Maag, who teaches in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, will receive a $12,500 award during an awards luncheon March 14 in Lincoln.

The Donald R. and Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes teachers who promote critical and creative thinking, encourage engaged and continuous learning, hold high standards for student performance, provide ample support, and work to improve one’s teaching. Maag exudes these principles, and his 24 years of service in SECD are also characterized by his personal philosophy of teaching: “It is my mission to display an energy and passion for teaching that students find contagious, inspiring, motivational and informative,” says Maag.

He has written a textbook, three additional books, and over 100 articles and book chapters about behavior management. His passion is providing training to preservice and practicing teachers in effective methods for managing the challenging behaviors some students display in school. Maag often disagrees with traditional responses to student misbehaviors and challenges his students to think outside the box. He advocates and teaches positive behavior management skills and support systems that promote prosocial behaviors and respect and compliance to teachers.

Maag’s impact on students is evident in the many supportive letters in his nomination. “His teaching and passion for his content area completely changed my perspective and impacted my desire to work in the field of special education,” said student Megan Gronewald of Pickrell, Neb. “John taught in a way that truly motivated, fully educated, and simply inspired not only me, but the other students in my class as well.”

Maag’s department chair, Sherri Jones, has spent time in his classroom and is a believer in his capacity to inspire students. “John’s exemplary teaching contributes significantly to the training of highly qualified educators and to increasing the number of educators who implement positive approaches to challenging behaviors in their classrooms,” says Jones. “He impacts students every day and those students go into their classrooms as early childhood educators, elementary educators, and special education teachers and enhance the lives of individuals, families, schools and communities every day in positive ways. He is most deserving of the Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence.”

The Donald R. and Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence is presented by the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The award is funded through a generous gift by Donald R. Swanson of Lincoln. Any full-time faculty member in CEHS is eligible to be nominated. The CEHS Swanson Awards Committee recommends the nominee to the Vice Chancellor’s Office for final approval. For more information on the award visit cehs.unl.edu/cehs/awards.