MARCH/APRIL 2012
Nature, by Design...Learning from DI Environmental Studies Instructor Tim Plagge
Who is six-foot-something, teaches at Design Institute and never stops smiling? If you guessed Environmental Studies instructor Tim Plagge, give yourself a high five. Sure, we usually feature our interior design instructors but our general education instructors are amazing, too, and Tim is no exception. As you can imagine, teaching environmental studies in a school of all design students can be a bit of a challenge. "There are always a few students who come into class and ask 'Why is this relevant?' Or they have the attitude that they don't want to be there. They usually are identifiable in the first week or two but I think most of them come around in the end." That's no surprise given Tim's happy-go-lucky approach and obvious passion for the subject.
Born in a small town of 2,500 in northern Michigan, Tim didn't exactly find his path; it found him. Originally Tim was going to go into veterinary medicine but after being exposed to a broader range of biology, he found that he really liked it. Plus, he admits, he didn't want to be stuck treating cats and dogs all day. "As much as I like cats and dogs," he joked. So after changing his mind late in the game and shocking his parents, he dropped his veterinary path, went to his mentor and asked "So, what do I do now?" Tim was advised to go to graduate school for biology and he did, with a concentration in zoology. His professor asked him how he planned on paying for school. Stone-faced and unprepared with a response, his professor stepped in and said, "Well, we have teaching stipends. You can be a teaching assistant." Without giving it much thought, Tim replied "Sure! I can do that!" There was just one catch; Tim was terrified of public speaking. "My knees would shake and I would get all sweaty." But he forged ahead, more out of obligation than determination. "Walking into the first lecture was a little bit intimidating but after the initial shock of what I was doing, it was great. I had a blast!" Tim taught through grad school, all the while thinking, "I can't believe I'm getting paid for this." That's when it hit him: "This is what I want to do." Immediately after grad school, fate stepped in again. An emergency teaching position opened up in Ann Arbor and Tim happened to be in the room with his professor when the call came in. Five minutes later he had the job. "So I said yes twice and it completely started my career path."
While teaching anatomy and physiology at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Tim also helped with a company that did outreach to elementary schools doing hands-on science with kids. The company moved to Northern California but wanted someone to start an office in Southern California and Tim was the first choice. "So then I was thinking, 'January in Michigan? Alright, I'm there." After a couple of years working for that company Tim decided he missed the interaction with adult learners, so he started teaching anatomy and physiology at Mesa College in San Diego. Then, after meeting Sue Royce, DI's Director of Academic Services, Tim was brought over to DI to teach Environmental Studies. "Biology and teaching are my passions but I consider environmental studies my get-away from hard core science. Not all of the students [at DI] have a strong science background which is a challenge but also makes it a little more fun." Tim admits that the class can be a little "doom and gloom" sometimes but he works to give the students the facts and even tailor the subject to their area of interest. "The simplest line of thought is that a functioning environment is required to sustain life and since we're living individuals, if we mess up the environment, we mess up our lives. So how can we, as a class of designers, work in the design field to minimize any kind of damages we're potentially doing so that life is sustainable."
Many students have a paradigm shift in this class, though Tim says that's not his goal. "I don't go into the class as an environmentalist saying you need to recycle more or buy a Prius. My goal is to let them see what's out there." Tim does this by having them write a research paper and present brief synopses of headline news and current events. "It's hard to know all of the new information coming out but if I have a classroom full of students who are looking at new literature out there then it helps me stay on top of it too!" Tim says his approach towards teaching is rather Socratic. "I think questions are a good way to get students thinking about what they're actually sitting in class for." When asked if he's over his fear of public speaking Tim humbly responded, "For the most part. I wouldn't say I'm good at it but I'm comfortable enough where it doesn't bother me anymore." But no matter what Tim says, his approach is obviously working. The students love him:
Tim is one of the best teachers I have had. He inspired me to be more conscious about how closely we interact with the environment. I always planned on producing green designs but Tim directly influenced my daily life and the products I consume on a daily basis. I cut my trash production in half since taking his class. His teaching style welcomes all views and questions to the point where he always had me thinking outside the box in a very productive way. He is AWESOME!
-Amanda Coronado
Tim was one of the greatest teachers I've ever had. I have been changing my habits because of his insightful knowledge of the problems we, the inhabitants of planet earth face. I am very cognizant of many other decisions that I have the power to make which will help our plight.
- John Moore
He takes an incredibly boring subject and makes it interesting!! His class quickly became my favorite; I would look forward to it and participated in class discussions. We went on interesting field trips that actually taught instead of feeling like the teacher was just trying to fill a day.
- Brittany Randel
Tim had a very effective way of teaching and bringing awareness to global issues and sustainability. I believe that most students in this class left with a positive direction to include green living and design in their future careers and lifestyle.
- Leslie Martans
His class was simply life changing. I do not look at the world we live in, in the same way. You can't understand the benefits of "green design" without this course. Tim changed the way I live. He was one of my favorite teachers here, and just another example of the excellent quality of instructors we have at DI.
-Cate Padilla