Dana$Gleason$

Faculty$Interview$
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An$Illinois$State$University$communications$professor$describes$what$the$most$

important$lesson$is$to$impart$on$students$throughout$the$course$of$one$semester.$$$
$

There$is$value$in$learning.$But$it$doesnt$come$from$me.$Learning$occurs$only$inside$the$

student.$Once$I$realized$that,$I$became$so$much$more$effective$as$an$educator,$said$Daniel$
Cochece$Davis.$
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Davis$is$a$communications$professor$at$ISU$who$specializes$in$organizational,$

intercultural,$nonverbal$and$research$methodIbased$communication$and$has$been$teaching$all$
over$the$world$for$more$than$20$years.$
$

While$Davis$has$taught$a$number$of$different$communication$courses$throughout$his$

teaching$career,$he$claims$one$course$is$generally$his$favorite$to$teach.$I$really$enjoy$
intercultural$communication$courses.$We$examine$things$like$maleIfemale$dating.$The$ideas$of$
romance$and$marriage.$The$kind$of$things$that$anyone$can$relate$to.$So$that$makes$it$fun$and$
when$its$fun$for$students$to$learn,$its$fun$for$me$to$teach,$said$Davis.$$$
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According$to$Davis,$he$is$doing$his$job$right$when$students$take$away$more$from$the$

class$than$just$a$good$grade.$The$most$interesting$thing$Ive$learned$from$Cochece$is$just$
realizing$that$the$course$is$about$life.$All$the$different$parts$reflect$back$on$your$life,$said$
Joseph$Oliver,$current$student$in$Davis$Introduction$to$Organizational$Communication$course.$$
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Although$Davis$has$found$a$system$to$relate$to$the$most$students$as$possible,$that$was$

not$always$the$case.$Years$ago,$I$abandoned$teaching$because$everyone$was$learning$at$
different$rates.$I$wasnt$teaching$to$the$best$of$my$abilities.$I$left$and$I$had$an$epiphany.$I$am$an$

educational$environmentalist,$not$an$educator.$People$learn$at$all$different$rates.$I$can$only$
measure$their$success$so$far,$they$have$to$measure$it$themselves,$said$Davis.$$
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Last$semester,$Davis$taught$arguably$one$of$the$most$difficult$communication$courses$

offered$at$ISU,$Communication$Research$Methods.$I$had$Cochece$for$research$methods.$I$was$
literally$afraid$of$the$class$because$I$had$heard$from$everyone$older$than$me$how$hard$it$was.$
And$it$was.$It$was$hard.$But$Cochece$had$this$way$of$making$it$so$interesting$that$I$didnt$even$
mind$doing$the$work$because$we$all$really$wanted$to.$By$the$end$of$the$semester,$I$was$sad$to$
leave,$said$Maryisa$MacKenzie,$Davis$former$student.$$
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After$much$consideration,$Davis$was$able$to$share$what$he$thought$was$the$most$

important$lesson$he$tries$to$teach$his$students$each$semester.$There$is$no$box.$People$always$
say$think$outside$the$box,$but$there$is$no$box.$If$youre$trying$to$think$outside$the$box,$youre$
still$thinking$in$relation$to$the$box.$I$want$my$students$to$push$themselves$to$think$of$things$in$
an$entirely$new$light.$If$they$can$do$that,$and$it$comes$across$in$their$work,$then$Ive$done$my$
job$the$best$I$can,$said$Davis.$$
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Its$just$so$clear$after$one$class$with$him$that$he$loves$what$he$does.$He$loves$being$a$

teacher.$Yes,$he$definitely$pushes$his$students,$though.$Thats$what$I$remember$most$about$
having$him$as$a$teacher.$Hes$always$telling$you$that$you$can$do$better,$always$pushing$you$to$
improve,$said$Stacy$Sullivan,$Davis$former$student.$
$

Throughout$his$teaching$career,$Davis$has$found$unconventional$ways$of$teaching$work$

well$to$motive$students.$Davis$said$he$doesnt$give$any$extra$credit$opportunities$in$any$of$his$
classes.$While$some$might$find$this$harsh,$Davis$believes$being$upfront$and$honest$at$the$
beginning$of$the$semester$about$his$expectations$from$his$students$helps$weed$out$the$

students$who$arent$willing$to$give$the$class$the$effort$it$deserves.$Not$giving$extra$credit$allows$
students$the$put$energy$into$the$regular$assignments.$By$the$end$of$the$semester,$Davis$said,$
what$he$has$to$show$for$giving$no$extra$credit$are$very$well$thought$out$and$thoroughly$
researched$assignments.$$
Before$he$omitted$extra$credit$from$his$courses,$Davis$said$some$students$were$too$
focused$on$the$grade$rather$than$the$content.$Davis$found$that$students$were$almost$too$afraid$
to$learn,$they$only$wanted$the$information$that$was$going$to$be$on$the$test,$not$necessarily$the$
information$that$would$help$them$in$the$long$run.$$
By$far,$one$of$the$most$interesting$and$smartest$people$I$know,$said$Tori$Atwood,$a$
former$student$of$Davis.$He$is$one$of$those$people$who$just$knows$so$much$about$many$
different$things.$Its$almost$intimidating$how$smart$he$really$is.$But$the$best$thing$about$him$is$
that$he$can$relate$to$everyone.$I$went$to$go$see$him$in$his$office$hours$and$he$was$so$nice$and$
helpful$that$I$forgot$I$was$intimidated.$Its$weird,$but$hes$such$a$good$teacher$and$that$really$
shows$in$his$classes.$
When$asked$how$he$measures$success,$Davis$responded$candidly.$When$students$walk$
away$at$the$end$of$the$semester$and$can$actually$explain$how$to$use$the$concepts$we$talked$
about$in$class,$rather$than$just$recite$the$definition,$I$definitely$think$that$shows$success.$But$to$
be$honest,$sometimes$the$success$I$measure$for$one$class$is$completely$different$for$another$
class.$Each$student$is$different$so$each$class$is$different$and$its$my$job$and$their$teacher$to$
adjust$my$abilities$to$teach$as$many$people$as$I$can,$said$Davis.$$
According$to$Davis,$sadly,$there$are$always$students$who$arent$willing$to$put$in$the$
effort.$The$most$aggravating$thing$as$a$teacher$is$when$students$rip$themselves$off.$Education$

is$a$privilege.$Education$is$not$a$right,$its$an$honor.$Students$who$dont$work$to$their$highest$
potential$and$who$dont$push$themselves$to$try$harder$and$do$better$will$not$succeed$in$the$
long$run,$according$to$Davis.$Students$need$to$want$to$learn$in$order$for$Davis$to$be$able$to$
teach$them.$Having$potential$and$using$potential$are$two$different$things$that$are$crucial$in$
learning$in$a$classroom$setting.$
$

The$education$process,$Davis$believes,$is$a$twoIway$street.$I$cant$teach$students$to$

have$a$passion$for$education.$I$cant$force$someone$to$learn.$I$cant$bribe$someone$to$better$
themselves.$All$I$can$do$is$try$to$teach$the$students$who$want$to$learn$the$best$way$I$know$how.$
The$people$who$show$up$to$class$and$actually$want$to$be$there,$those$are$the$ones$who$benefit$
the$most.$But$I$do$love$teaching$and$I$love$believing$that$I$can$make$a$difference$in$peoples$
lives,$said$Davis.$$