Dr. George Lellis — Teaching Philosophy

Dr. George P. Lellis
Professor of Communication; Chair of the Department of Communication, Language and Literature; Coordinator of the Communication Major
B.A., Queens College (New York); M.A., Ph.D., University of Texas (Austin); Centre Universitaire Américain du Cinéma et de la Critique à Paris; New York University

Classes:
Film Criticism,
Nonfiction Film and Video
Video Production
Communication Theory

Good teaching involves producing joy in the student. It might be the joy of hearing a particularly well-organized argument in a public speaking class. It might involve the sense of vividness and discovery in analyzing how the particular shot of a motion picture relates to the whole. It might arise from seeing how a theory of interpersonal communication can also be applied to a mass communication situation.

My goal is to have students take this joy and share it, with each other and with the world. I want them to take what they have learned out of the classroom and into their residence halls and homes, to discuss it with each other and family and friends, to use it to get to know others better.

Good learning creates community. In the effective communication program, students and faculty together become a community of scholars and communication practitioners who provide one another with information, insights, and valuable feedback. In short, when I succeed, a mixture of successful planning and student-centered spontaneity creates a bonding of class members with one another, so they can learn from each other and on into the rest of their lives.