The first thing you will notice in tom’s class is that there are no tests, quizzes, or papers.  As such, I went into the class with the mindset that the lack of traditional grading was going to make the course relatively easy.  I could not have been more wrong. tom’s class is one of the most difficult courses at Providence College.

tom’s expectations for the learning, growth, and success of the class are beyond that of most professors.  My largest challenge, which ultimately became the greatest lesson I learned in this course, was to overcome the mindset that ensuring my personal success was sufficient in guaranteeing the success of the overall class/team.  In traditional courses, if you can individually succeed then you can expect to get a good grade.  In tom’s class, if you can only individually succeed then you can expect to fail.  Ensuring only your individual success is meaningless when your team or organization is failing.

This reality of success is reflected in the business world.  If your team or organization is unsuccessful, no matter how successful you personally are, you ultimately fail.  In order to succeed in tom’s class, you must have an open mindset.  You must be willing to put in effort above and beyond what is required of you.  You must view the organization as a whole and constantly apply and reflect on lessons learned.  Lastly, you must have patience. tom’s class is challenging and, consequently, frustrating.  It is not until the second half of the semester will you fully realize the significance of tom’s teaching method.  Despite how crazy he may seem, tom truly cares for the growth and learning of his students.