My teaching philosophy is that students learn better, and learning is more long lasting, when I can make the material fun and interesting and useful to them. I try to inject humor into my classes where appropriate, and try different approaches rather than just stand up in front of a classroom and lecture hour by hour or day by day.

To me the most important part of teaching is not just getting the material across, but that the student understands the substance of the material, has a good comprehension of what it means and, best of all, can use it in their personal or professional life and gain a benefit from learning it. Otherwise, it's merely "flash card" learning that can be accomplished by simply reading the material.

Rather than just regurgitating information from the text or supporting documents, I try to present the material in real life situations using personal experiences, and show students where value comes from using the concepts presented. I also seek to bring out their understanding of the material and how they believe it applies. Real life examples and conditions help to make this more real to the students.

Perhaps a more accurate description of my teaching philosophy would come from former co-workers who have experienced my class room teaching style:

Jim Terry, International HR Manager Weyerhaeuser Company:
"Jerry has exhibited a great talent for teaching and training. He has a unique way of adapting the subject matter to whatever level is needed. I believe this talent comes from a desire to help others and see them grow, both professionally and personally. Knowing and understanding certain subject matters is not enough to teach and train someone. Jerry knows how to make training understandable and fun at the same time. He has excellent communication skills and organizes data in a way that is easy to use."

Drew Honzel, former General Manager of Columbia Forest Products:
"From an ambition and interest level Jerry loves being in front of people. He is not afraid to dress up or run "fun type" of training events to keep the interest level high. His enthusiasm for public speaking and teaching is hard to find. For most managers it is a job, for Jerry it is fun!"

Gene Chappell, Regional Manager Timber Products:
"Jerry has facilitated many meetings and is very organized and prepares well for all presentations. His documentation is second to none and his written presentation skills are extremely professional. Jerry is more than capable as a classroom teacher. He is always upbeat and keeps things interesting by adding a little humor where appropriate. He has taught teams comprised of managers, supervisors and production workers in behavioral-based quality improvement methods, statistical process controls, team-building, communications skills and organizing and running effective meetings. He has excellent communication skills and organizes data in a way that is easy to use."


Dr. Timothy Bergquist, Professor Quantitative Methods & Director Institutional Research and Assessment, NW Christian College:
"I have worked with Mr. Peyton on this statistics course as I am the course director for all statistics courses at NCC. This particular course is taught over the period of 7 weeks, one night per week for four hours (6 to 10 pm). Jerry has conducted himself in a thoroughly professional manner. He is very concerned with the success of each and every student. Students praised his real-world examples and concern for them. I have found his insights into the material very helpful and have incorporated several of his ideas into the class notes. I have been pleased with his performance in this statistics class. I believe that he has a good grasp of the material, can explain it in a way that students understand, and brings his expertise and practical experience into his teaching."