Leah Geiger is a whirlwind of ideas, many coming forth so quickly she barely finishes a sentence before she’s off to the next topic. A conversation with Geiger, a social sciences instructor at the College of Southern Maryland, is as much visual as verbal, with arms moving, fingers pointing and head bobbing to emphasize her points. “I am a tornado when it comes to things I’m really into,” Geiger said.
Geiger, 38, the recipient of CSM’s Faculty Excellence Award honoring adjunct faculty, would be a commanding presence in any classroom, so it’s more than a little ironic that she has been teaching her social sciences classes mostly online since 2007. Geiger’s enthusiasm has translated well to the electronic venue, as she has adapted and designed online courses and serves as CSM’s institutional representative for Quality Matters, a national program designed to provide quality assurance for online programs.
CSM Faculty Senate President Mike Green formally presented Geiger with the award during the college’s 53rd spring commencement on May 10. “Leah has been teaching at CSM for 14 years and over this time she has become a leader in online education,” said Green in presenting the award. “Ms. Geiger believes that it is critical to make online students feel connected as if they were in a face-to-face situation. She believes her strength is in her ability to convey an open, collaborative relationship in the online classroom right from the start of a semester. Her success is evidenced not only by the number of her online Intro to Sociology students that also take her more advanced SOC-2100 section, but by the words of assurance those who have previously taken her online class post, to first-timers regarding her teaching ability and commitment to learning.”
Geiger maintains a connection with her students by drawing on her boundless energy and enthusiasm for her work, checking in with her online classroom discussions daily and often more than once. “I do it from home, do it on holidays. There is some compulsion there. I don’t like to go to bed before my classes are checked. That’s part of my reputation.”
“Teaching online—I want my students not to notice a difference. I want them to have the same quality of interaction with me as they [would face-to-face],” Geiger said. “My life is active listening. I want to
make you feel listened to. I want to make sure that [students] feel helped. I believe that teaching is caring for your students, and that your students have a role as the ‘cared for.’ It’s a definite two-way street.”
Her personal approach to teaching starts with the little things. “I address every student in every post that I respond to by name. E-mails, too. A human being has a name; it’s one of the first things you ever learn about yourself. It’s important to you and your identity
