Professor Wilcox-Herzog won prestigious award for teaching

Amanda Wilcox-Herzog, an associate professor of psychology at Cal State San Bernardino, has been selected as the winner of the 2011-2012 Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching.

Wilcox-Herzog was surprised in her classroom by the friendly "ambush" when university President Albert Karnig burst into her class on Jan 19 to announce that she had won the university's prestigious award. He was joined by former recipients of the award, colleagues and administrators to honor her.

Karnig said that it’s valuable to announce the Golden Apple award winner during class so that students can participate in the recognition.

"Student evaluations were a key element in Dr. Wilcox-Herzog's selection, with comments that were effusive about her remarkable ability to explain complex issues, to skillfully ground theory in real-life situations, and the fact that she was simply 'a great teacher,'" Karnig said. "She not only explains things thoroughly, but patiently."

In reviewing her teaching records, the selection committee found her to be very passionate about teaching, wrote Tapie Rohm, chair of the selection committee. "Professor Wilcox-Herzog is the best of the best when it comes to teaching — a real teacher's teacher," said Rohm.

"Of all the things that I've done here at the university, this means the most to me, because it's the job I do in front of you," she told her students, Karnig and the others who were there.

She will be honored at the annual San Bernardino Mayor's Golden Apple Awards dinner on March 29, at CSUSB's Obershaw Dining Room, along with three other employees from CSUSB, four from San Bernardino Valley College and four from the San Bernardino City School District.

Unrealistic expectations have mental health costs

Many Australians are being impacted by their unrealistic expectations of themselves; with a leading Australian psychologist suggesting "unhealthy perfectionism" is resulting in mental health issues.

Professor Tracey Wade of the School of Psychology at Flinders University said some people feel they’re worthless if they fall short of their goals, or make mistakes in attempting to achieve them.

These high standards, combined with brutal self criticism, comes at a significant cost, with Professor Wade saying it is often identified in the sufferers of conditions such as depression, anxiety and even eating disorders.

"There is nothing wrong with perfectionism, which is striving for high standards, but when people get caught in a cycle of self-blame and criticism when those ambitions are not met, and really feel that they are worthless because they have failed, it can be extremely damaging. It can also prevent them seeing that mistakes present an opportunity to learn, which is hugely valuable in itself," Wade said.

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