The Sandspur

Issue date: 11/12/04 Section: Holt News

Media Credit: JENNIFER WALCHOK

To step into a classroom of Professor Jones is to change your entire theory of the conventional college classroom, leave at the door your ideas of the word "teacher" and even the word "test!" Professor Warren Jones is no doubt a dedicated scholar and unconventional instructor; although, Professor Jones would disagree with the term "teaching" because to him "good teaching is performing."

Professor Jones, who kindly asks his students to call him Warren, enjoys teaching non traditional students because he finds them self assured and engaging, "I can go through class for twenty minutes without speaking because the students speak so well." Students in Professor Jones' classes find his enthusiasm and approach successful; it is evident because discussions and even sometimes debates over the assigned literature and ideas continue to the point that sometimes the room is not quiet till the very last minute of the meeting. Classes are exciting and at the very least, always interesting. Professor Jones' passionate approach to teaching shines through his students of all different majors, backgrounds and ages to be totally engaged with the texts and discussions.

I sat down with Warren, the college professor since 1998 and Rollins' graduate to ask him about his teaching objective and education philosophies specifically regarding Holt students. The professor of courses this semester at three different central Florida campuses prefers Rollins because the college stands out comparably, in his own words: "We have an elitism scholarship and high degree of expectance out of students, yet this does not alter the very personal relation between student and faculty."

There is no doubt Professor Jones takes advantage of the personal connections with students by not limiting his time for courses and student instruction to only the classroom. Professor Jones performs in his literature classes by seminars and student discussions. Warren's classes are "learning centered around the use of various learning platforms because the process of learning is important not the professor teaching the class."

One learning platform that he totally disagrees with is testing students. Sounds great right? No tests or quizzes however, his classes are still challenging and tests students' barriers of knowledge each time the class meets. Why no testing? "Learning is endless in literature and if you receive a 100% you have the false assumption you learned it all and you can never learn it all." As many Holt students would agree with Professor Jones' statement that we all learn through experience, he feels it is important to discuss literature and come up with your own ideas rather than being told. The professor enjoys the input and discussions with Holt students because each has their own experiences they bring to their education, which is something this Professor relates with.

Coming from a background of studying for an undergraduate degree as a non traditional student himself; I asked Professor Jones for some good advice for the busy, dedicated Holt student: "Being a good student is not about only an intelligence level, it is tonicity and perseverance." Professor Jones feels that Holt students have to be prepared to change their entire lifestyle in that you become a student first and fulltime worker second. He goes on to explain that students need to seek out one another in order to learn from one another even as non traditional Holt students with busy lives and families.

It is evident when speaking with this professor that he has a high respect and high educational standard for all of his students and the expectation that they will use their education and knowledge successfully for whatever purposes they choose. "When asked what will you do with that degree, I tell my students to respond what can't I do? We are not a tech training school and it is up to you the student to use the skills you have learned in your education for a job. You will use the skills taught in a way that we don't know how, but in different and interesting ways within your career." With that being said, it is evident that this professor is a true asset to the Rollins College Holt program and your education.


Correction
Some readers have indicated to The Sandspur that the Holt Spotlight on Warren Jones seemed to suggest he does not use testing as an evaluative measure for student performance. As a follow up, we have discovered he does use tests and exams.

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