The mentoring environment and work at Ataruz begins long before we depart. I seek to identify students and their strengths and to develop plans and projects that play into those strengths as we create a learning environment to be applied in the field and beyond. Our work, in some measure, thus evolves based on students’ skillsets for a particular dig season. Our work continues when we return home and I continue to employ multiple RA’s as we learn how to process, interpret, and prepare data for professional conference presentations and publications. We try and accomplish all this in a relatively stress-free environment and have a lot of fun in the process. We travel and are exposed to numerous cultures and religious sites throughout the country, providing additional opportunities of spiritual and professional growth. At Ataruz, the student is always the focal point of the experience.

I sit down and individually talk with each student and try and find out what they hope to get out of the experience. What are their interests? What are their strengths? What skills do they possess? What interests them about the experience?

Once I know what they like doing and what skills they possess (drawing, photography, computer skills, etc.), I attempt to create projects that encourage growth in that area and try my best to tap those resources for their benefit and for the benefit of the larger project. Students, in turn, have been able to help me learn many new skills as I draw from their experience and abilities.

Once I know what they like doing and what skills they possess (drawing, photography, computer skills, etc.), I attempt to create projects that encourage growth in that area and try my best to tap those resources for their benefit and for the benefit of the larger project. Students, in turn, have been able to help me learn many new skills as I draw from their experience and abilities.

I also hope to employ reflection through the preparation class, which is designed to get students thinking about what they will experience in Jordan, and then to use that knowledge and reflection to build upon more reflection as we visit religious sites, churches, archaeological parks, and interact with local Jordanians as we are in Jordan.

While we are excavating, I like to stop and analyze what we are digging with the students. We don’t always immediately know what we are uncovering, and we stop and assess the situation looking for answers and input from the students who are overseeing the excavations in their squares. It gives us an opportunity to talk, assess, solve problems, and present possible theories. We repeat this cycle as we progress through excavations. I want them to develop analytical skills and work to create theories that can be supported by the evidence.

We also work to visit religious sites where we can stop, talk, and reflect upon biblical events that happened there and I think our students have had some deeply personal experiences going through that process on the sites.

Honestly, for my work in Jordan, a lot of time and a lot of money, and I am grateful to Experiential Learning resources, donors, and University and Department leadership who are all so supportive of these endeavors. I also appreciate my wife, Karla, and our children, who see dad leave for so long each summer and spend so much time working on Experiential Learning projects.

I care about our students and their development. I do this mostly for them, though I do get so much out of it. I want them to move on to the next phase of their careers, schooling, and professional lives gaining experience and skills that I thoughtfully attempt to help them obtain through the experiential learning experiences that I try and create for them generally, but then adapt to them personally.