Sara Beckman
Senior Lecturer, Haas School of Business
Sara Beckman, who holds both B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford, joined Haas School of Business in 1988. She teaches introductory operations management and new product development courses, and writes about green design and manufacturing. In 694 evaluations over 18 sections over 8 semesters, 642 or 93% rated Beckman a 6 or higher, with 422 or 61% rated her a 7—on a seven point scale. Laura Tyson, Dean of the Haas School of Business, says, "In my career as a teacher and administrator, I have met few individuals who are as passionate about their teaching mission and as deserving of this award as Sara Beckman is."
Statement Of Teaching Philosophy
My mother spent 35 years as a K-3 teacher, twenty of them in the same classroom. I marveled at her ability to teach the same basic lessons year after year, and was sure I would never do the same. Now, years later, I know why she persevered. She took great pleasure in launching her young charges on the "right" feet and pride in transforming them witha new body of knowledge. Her students were invigorated by her passion for learning and exploration. She in turn was energized by their interest.
My teaching circumstances are quite different, yet my goals are remarkably similar: Engage students in learning. Make them think about and question the subject at hand. Be open to learn from them. Balance intensity with humor and compassion. Inspire intellectual curiosity. Demonstrate professionalism, commitment, and respect for each individual. In sum, transform the students—whether novices or subject matter experts—with new knowledge and acknowledgement of them as individuals.
All of my classes are highly interactive. I attempt to create a classroom environment in which students feel comfortable asking "stupid" questions, challenging one another and me directly, and sharing their own perspectives and stories. One of my favorite classroom experiences is watching a class of 40-60 students engage in thought-provoking repartee as if I were not even there. I also use games, exercises, and projects that provide students with further opportunities to interact with and focus on the subject matter both inside and outside the classroom. The "beer game," for example, allows students to simulate a supply chain that delivers beer to the marketplace and teaches them the difficulty of simultaneously optimizing inventory levels and customer satisfaction. The new product development project engages cross-disciplinary teams in taking an idea through to first-pass prototype during the 15-week semester.
As a teacher, my ultimate satisfaction comes not from the applause and positive evaluations that follow the end of the semester, but from the enduring value both the course content and my participation have in the conduct of my former students’ lives. Hearing that operations management "turns out to be important after all" to a "dot.com" executive or that a student has redirected his or her career aspirations after taking my course is a great reward. I still may not have the patience required to teach first graders to read year after year, but I feel rewarded by my teaching experiences and enduring relationships with Haas students.
