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University of Wyoming

For Stepans, essence of teaching is caring

   Joseph Stepans recalls the exact moment that he understood the power that teachers have with students, and that he wanted to use that power to impact young lives: fifth grade, second period geometry class, at his missionary school in Iran.

   In that setting, he witnessed “the way that the teacher humiliated a student who was late for class—he had been taking care of his ill mother. That stayed with me, particularly the harsh and unfair treatment…It was then that I decided that teachers could have such an impact on students. I decided at that time that I was going to be a teacher.”

   Stepans wrapped up his distinguished teaching career at the end of the spring semester. As he closed out his responsibilities as a professor of secondary education, Joe took time to reflect on how childhood experiences shaped his teaching philosophy.

   Caring stands firmly at the center of Joe’s approach to teaching students -- from teenagers at Pinedale High School, where he taught from 1977-1981, to undergraduates in the Wyoming Teacher Education Program and in-service teachers in graduate courses and professional development workshops.

    “More than how much you knew or how you taught, the fact that you truly cared matters,” he says. “One year, one semester or even one day or one period could make a difference in a kid’s life.”

   The power of that idea is brought home every time Stepans crosses paths with former students. Inevitably, the conversation turns to ways in which Joe’s caring concern impacted the individual’s sense of self-worth and potential to succeed.

   Joe learned a lot from his experiences in Pinedale. It was the desire to use what he’d discovered in the classroom that led him back to the University of Wyoming, where he’d earned MS (1972, physics) and PhD (1975, science education) degrees, to help prepare future generations of educators.

   “I wanted to share some of the things that I had learned from students,” he says. “The best way that I could do that was to be involved with teachers – to share that message and share those experiences and observations.”

   Stepans joined the UW faculty in 1981 and immediately found a way to make a difference. His response to the high percentage of incoming students who could not pass math placement exams exemplifies the kind of student focus for which Joe has become known. He took it upon himself to identify the stumbling blocks for students who struggled with the test, then developed a series of short workshops designed to help them overcome the obstacles that troubled them most. The impact of that extra effort on behalf of students is strong and vivid: after participating in Stepans’ refreshers, 97 percent were able to pass the test on a second try and proceed toward courses foundational to their degrees.

   One of Stepans’ greatest educational legacies is Wyoming TRIAD (WyTRIAD), a professional development program built on a three-way partnership between teachers, administrators and a facilitator. WyTRIAD, which is highlighted in the recently released book Exemplary Science: Best Practices in Professional Development, is an inquiry-based experience requiring commitment by all members of the learning partnership. The constructivist-based approach engages participants in school-based research that informs classroom practices.

   The process begins by challenging teachers and administrators to challenge their assumptions about learning. It requires active conversation with students to understand what they know and what motivates them, an experience that has been known to shake educators’ most deeply held beliefs. While that can be unsettling, it also can be invigorating and inspiring. Stepans reports that many longtime teachers report being energized – to the point of postponing planned retirement – by what they learn and the opportunity to incorporate new ideas in the classroom.

   Several rural districts have used WyTRIAD, which Stepans launched in 1991 in Goshen County, Wyoming, across the state and by urban schools in places like Detroit. It also was adopted by the First in the World Consortium in Chicago, a joint project involving successful suburban districts from the city’s North Shore area.

   Stepans’ list of awards and professional recognition is a long one. Among the highlights: the 2005 Pepsi Presidential Award for Excellence, acknowledging his outstanding service, research and teaching at UW; the UW Excellence in Advising Award; the Hollon Award for excellence in teaching in off-campus programs; the John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award; and the Wyoming Science Teachers Outstanding Achievement Award. Still, one gets the sense that teaching and impacting the lives of students is the greatest reward of all.

   “It’s not a job,” Stepans says of the career that helped him change the lives of others, “it’s an awesome mission.”