The main purpose of a professor, I believe, is to make plain to the students just what is so interesting and compelling about the subject under investigation.  Anybody who has taken the trouble to acquire a degree of expertise in a field must believe that the subject is inherently interesting, and the teacher’s job is to find a way to communicate to the students why that subject deserves their serious attention.  The professor of politics is favorably situated in this regard, for the study of politics asks some of the most crucial questions of human existence.  All political thinkers attempt to answer the question: “What is the best
.         Photo by John Scrader 2010               life for man?”  The various responses that                                                                                      have been given to that question provide the                                                                                  starting point for true political reflection.

As a teacher, I also emphasize the importance of essay-writing as a way to examine a complex subject with a critical eye.  An exam will only reveal what a student has memorized; an essay forces a student to pause and spend time with a challenging subject, to comprehend and evaluate different theories in a meaningful way.  In every class I’ve taught, I’ve either offered voluntary writing seminars or incorporated writing tutorials into the curriculum.  I also assign papers in multiple stages and drafts and provide liberal feedback on the intermediary steps before handing them back for revision.  Not all students appreciate receiving the criticism, but these lessons lead the students through the steps necessary to analyze and articulate their position. And the multiple revisions–whether willing or unwilling–have resulted in essays that are clearer, better organized, and articulated with greater precision.

I have taught in traditional college classes, developed online courses, and provided continuing education for middle-school and high-school teachers within 3- or 5-day seminars and graduate courses.  I believe that there is no substitute for the interaction that can take place between instructor and students in the classroom setting.  Perfecting the art of the classroom presentation and discussion has been my primary aspiration.

Teaching Experience

University Courses

♦ Courses taught for Washington and Lee University, 2021 to the present: “American National Government,” a required first-year course for politics majors; it examines the constitutional origins and historical development of the national government with special attention to political institutions and, and the role of political parties, interest groups, and the media in American politics. “Creating the U.S. Constitution,” a course examining the arguments that framed the Constitution; it includes a role-playing game in which students reenact the 1787 dynamics of clashing interests, ideologies, and personalities at the Constitutional Convention. “Slavery and the Constitution,” an in-depth exploration of the ways that the institution of slavery influenced the making of the United States Constitution, and the ways the Constitution influenced the institution of slavery. “Rhetoric in the Structure of American Politics,” examining classical rhetorical theory and exploring how these principles have been adopted, adapted, and employed within America’s constitutional framework

• Syllabus for “American National Government”
• Evaluations for “American National Government”
• Syllabus for “Creating the U.S. Constitution”
• Evaluations for “Creating the U.S. Constitution”
• Syllabus for “Slavery and the Constitution”
• Evaluations for “Slavery and the Constitution”

♦ Courses taught for University of Virginia 2008-2010 and 2016 to 2021: “American Political Thought,” a course which explores the principal institutions, ideas, and ideals that have shaped the American regime, “Rhetoric in the Structure of American Politics,” and “Creating the U.S. Constitution.”

• Syllabus for “The American Political Tradition”
• Evaluation for “The American Political Tradition”
• Syllabus for “Rhetoric in the Structure of American Politics”
• Evaluations for “Rhetoric in the Structure of American Politics”

♦ Courses taught for the University of Richmond 2012 and 2017-2018: “Leadership and the Humanities,” an exploration of the role of rhetoric and leadership in ancient Greece, primarily focusing on Aristotle’s Rhetoric and Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, “Modern Political Theory,” and “American Political Theory.”

• Syllabus for “Leadership and the Humanities”

♦ Graduate courses taught for James Madison University (through the Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier), 2014-2016: “James Madison’s Influence on American Politics,” “American Political Institutions: The Congress, Presidency, and Judiciary,” and “Individual Rights: Securing and Expanding Rights throughout America’s History.”

• Syllabus for “James Madison’s Influence on American Politics”
• Syllabus for “American Political Institutions: The Congress, Presidency, and Judiciary”
• Syllabus for “Individual Rights: Securing and Expanding Rights throughout America’s History”

♦ Courses taught in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) at Baylor University, 2001-2002: sections of “Social World I and II“, survey courses in political philosophy, economics, and social science that spanned works from Plato to Max Weber.

• Syllabus for “Social World I”
• Evaluations for 2002 “Social World I”
• Syllabus for “Social World II”
• Evaluations for 2002 “Social World II” (with students referring to “Professor Geller,” Lynn Uzzell’s maiden name).

Seminars

♦ Taught “The Creation of the Constitution,” a 3-day seminar at Montpelier’s Center for the Constitution that traced how different parts of the Constitution developed during the debates at the federal Convention of 1787.  Taught solo, October 11-13, 2013, and co-taught, with Hugh Liebert, July 22-24, 2015.

• Agenda for “The Creation of the Constitution”
• Evaluations for 2013 “The Creation of the Constitution”

♦ Taught, “James Madison and the Bill of Rights,” a 3-day seminar at Montpelier’s Center for the Constitution that explored the intellectual origins, historical creation, and subsequent interpretation of the Bill of Rights.  Taught solo, October 19-21, 2012, and co-taught, with the Honorable Sue Leeson, March 7-9, 2014, March 13-15, 2015, and July 9-11, 2023.

• Agenda for “James Madison and the Bill of Rights”
• Evaluations for 2015 “James Madison and the Bill of Rights”
• Evaluations for 2014 “James Madison and the Bill of Rights”
• Evaluations for 2012 “James Madison and the Bill of Rights”

♦ Co-taught “Slavery and the Constitution,” a 3-day seminar at Montpelier’s Center for the Constitution that examined the myriad ways that the institution of slavery influenced the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution influenced the institution of slavery.  Co-taught, with Holt Merchant, November 14-16, 2014.

• Agenda for “Slavery and the Constitution”
• Evaluations for “Slavery and the Constitution”

♦ Co-taught, with Sue Leeson, “Congress: Failed, Fractured, or Muddling Along,” a 3-day seminar for “We the People” teachers in Fairbanks, Alaska, April 10-12, 2014.

• Agenda for “Congress: Failed, Fractured, or Muddling Along”
• Evaluations for “Congress: Failed, Fractured, or Muddling Along”

♦ Taught “The Foundational Principles of the American Constitution,” a 3-day seminar at Montpelier’s Center for the Constitution that explored the intellectual foundations of America’s constitutional system of government.  Taught solo March 8-10, 2013 and November 11-13, 2011, and co-taught, with James Ceaser, October 29-31, 2010.

• Agenda for “The Foundational Principles of the American Constitution”
• Evaluations for 2013 “The Foundational Principles of the American Constitution”
• Evaluations for 2011 “The Foundational Principles of the American Constitution”
• Evaluations for 2010 “The Foundational Principles of the American Constitution”