My First Semester as a Lecturer
My first semester teaching was a mix of excitement and challenge. I entered the classroom eager to make an impact, but quickly realized that following the prescribed syllabus and recommended textbooks wasn’t preparing students for the realities of writing in the workplace. No one was writing essays or memos in the companies I knew.
At the same time, I felt the weight of comparison. Surrounded by colleagues with PhDs while I held a master’s degree, I wondered if I truly belonged. But I soon discovered that my strength was in real-world business communication. When I stopped trying to fit a mold and instead taught from my own professional experience, the classroom changed. Students were more engaged, the lessons felt relevant, and the learning stuck.
I redesigned my syllabus around the arc of a student’s career journey: from job searches and early career communication to the skills needed for advancement or career pivots. My focus became practical tools, confidence-building, and meaningful guidance. By being authentic and centering my teaching on student success, I found my own success as an educator.
Over time, my student evaluations have ranked among the highest in my department, college, and university. I’ve been honored with teaching awards based on student feedback, and I continue to give back to San José State, helping students discover their strengths and chart their path forward.
Awards: Lecturer of the Year (2014) and Excellence in Teaching (2016).
Bridging the Gap
Creating a foundational program to equip future business leaders with essential communication skills
Challenge
The Dean of the Lucas Graduate School of Business approached me with a clear challenge: students in the early MBA program were reporting a gap in leadership communication skills. Many were three to five years into their careers, juggling work and study, and noticed they lacked practical knowledge in areas such as influencing, negotiation, managing upwards, and navigating organizational politics. The Dean had heard about my award-winning under-graduate class and asked me me to design a curriculum that would equip graduate students with practical leadership communication skills they could immediately apply in their careers.
Approach
I began by carefully reviewing student feedback to understand their specific needs and pain points. Drawing on my experience designing practical, career-focused coursework, I restructured and developed a curriculum that targeted leadership communication gaps directly. Each component of the class was tailored to the students’ career stage, giving them tools they could immediately apply in their professional roles.
To make the learning experiential, each class included a business simulation segment where students practiced the skills being taught. For example, when covering topics like delivering negative feedback, coaching for performance improvement, or even announcing a layoff, I structured exercises that placed students in the role of a manager needing to communicate these messages. This allowed them to practice in a safe, supportive environment before applying the skills in real-world situations, building confidence and competence in leadership communication.
Outcome
The resulting curriculum provided early MBA students with actionable skills in leadership, influence, and communication. I taught the inaugural semester, using real-time feedback to refine the lessons and ensure they addressed students’ needs before handing the program off. The course created a safe, supportive environment for students to practice soft skills, receive feedback, and gain confidence in navigating complex workplace dynamics. It was well-received, helping students feel more prepared to lead effectively and make an impact in their organizations.
Course Syllabus
Below is the course syllabus, which highlights the structure, topics, and hands-on learning experiences I designed for early MBA students. These samples illustrate how the curriculum blends practical skills, career-focused guidance, and experiential exercises to build leadership communication competence.
Note
Samples from my career as a lecturer are included here to show how I think and approach my work. Please respect the time and thought behind them by not copying, sharing, or reusing without my written permission. Thank you.