Mr. Jeff Norby

Philosophy on Teaching Psychology

Learner First, Teacher Second.

"You are a student, I am a teacher, we are all LEARNERS." Should you decide to take one of Mr. Norby's psychology classes you are likely to hear this on day #1 as he describes his passion for the content, his interest in learning, and his joy for sharing psychology with student learners. In addition to "turning you on" to psychology, Mr. Norby hopes that your journey of discovery in this science serves as a springboard for life-long learning.

The Learning Triangle: Challenge - Novelty - Feedback.

Whether you sign up for AP Psychology or General Psychology, be prepared to be challenged. Mr. Norby challenges his students to keep an open mind and to think critically about research on human behavior - some of which may be counterintuitive or conflict with solidified beliefs. Mr. Norby prides himself in making the difficult seem simple, and tempering the challenges of psychology with novel and memorable lectures that are highly applicable to student life. To complete the triangle, Mr. Norby makes every attempt to gain the trust and respect of his students. He is honest and straight-forward in his assessments, and makes every attempt to provide learners with the critical feedback neccessary for high-level performance.

Press for Understanding.

"You can do it! You will do it! I will help you!" Mr. Norby insists that you understand and learn the content presented during lectures. He fosters a united classroom environment - emphasizing the success of the class as a whole - and promoting a team-like camaraderie amongst fellow learners. In terms of individual needs, questions, and frustrations related to class - the door is always open - both literally and figuratively. Such one-on-one conversations and personal connections, coupled with a comprehensive curriculum, lead to maximal learning. All students can learn psychology!

Favorite Quotes:

“For great achievers, including Mozart (600 compositions) and Thomas Edison (1,093 patents), work blends into hobby. Some jobs will always have the purpose of earning money - work that no one would do without pay. But how blessed are those who can say, to borrow from C.S. Lewis, 'I am doing work which is worth doing. It would still be worth doing if nobody paid for it. But as I have no private means, and need to be fed and housed and clothed, I must be paid for what I do.' ” David G Myers, The Pursuit of Happiness

“In my experience, most students come to a course with all the expentancy of a first date. They hope that the match is an excellent one. At a minimum, they hope that their time will not be wasted. If they are lucky, the enthusiasm of the professor can open new doors and the students can extract from the course larger life lessons that even the content can purvey. ” Jane Halonen, The Teaching of Psychology