Dec. 18, 2008

Scott Arnett		Susan Burns

Faculty members write human relations textbook

geared toward education students

Two Morningside College professors have written what they believe is the first human relations textbook geared specifically toward the teaching field.

Scott Arnett, associate professor of education, and Susan Burns, associate professor of psychology, had their textbook, “Educating the Educator: Human Relations in the Academic World,” published this year by Outskirts Press. The book is already being used at Morningside College, and several other schools are considering the book for use in future classes.

In order to obtain a teacher’s license in Iowa, all education students must complete some type of human relations coursework. This textbook is unique because it takes human relations concepts and looks specifically at how they will apply to the teaching profession.

“A new teacher may walk into a school where she’s in charge of not only students but also a paraprofessional who is 34 years old, has been in the system 15 years and does not appreciate having a 22-year-old tell her what to do,” Arnett said. “There’s a lot that we don’t teach people how to handle in the methods courses or the psychology courses as far as working with paraprofessionals or parents. We’re really specific here – as much as we can be.”

At the end of the book, students are encouraged to discuss how they would handle different situations. For example, one scenario asks what a teacher should do if students say they don’t believe the Holocaust ever happened.

“Discussions are just so important,” Burns said. “I think sometimes we assume students know – or they don’t know – how to handle a given situation. And they assume they know. ‘Sure, I would know how to handle that.’ But having a conversation is useful.”

Arnett joined the faculty at Morningside College in 1998. He received a First-Year Teaching/Advising Award from students in Omicron Delta Kappa national honor society in 2005. Also that year, he was chosen by his peers to receive the Lucille and Charles Wert Faculty Award for excellence in teaching. Arnett has a doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

Burns joined the Morningside faculty in 2002. She has been selected twice by outside evaluators to receive the Sharon Walker Faculty Excellence Award for teaching excellence, effective advising, scholarship and service to Morningside College. She received the award in both 2004 and 2008. Burns has a doctorate from Kansas State University in Manhattan.