Laine Scales, Ph.D

Professor of Higher Education
Associate Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies

Campus Contact Information:
Baylor University
School of Education
One Bear Place #97312
Waco, TX 76798-7264
254-710-4487
Laine_Scales@baylor.edu
Curriculum Vita

Education:
Doctor of Philosophy (Higher Education), University of Kentucky at Lexington, 1994.
Masters of Social Work, Carver School of Church Social Work, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, 1986 (CSWE accredited)
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and English), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1983

Philosophy of Teaching:
Teaching Statement: My teaching philosophy and method is congruous with the mission of Baylor which is "to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community." My teaching philosophy incorporates the following components that contribute to this mission:

Creating Learning Communities: I use a teaching plan that empowers students to take responsibility for their own and others' learning and to learn collaboratively. For example, I encourage students to work in task groups to create a product or debate a topic. In my classes, students review the work of their peers before submitting the product, thereby learning from one another and practicing the skill of giving feedback to one another. I emphasize to students that they are learning from one another, and that I am learning from them, in addition to their learning from me. Together we hold high standards and expectations for one another.

Critical Thinking: I encourage students to move beyond simple parroting of presentations they have heard. Students in my classes are required to critique theories presented and utilize what they already know and have experienced rather than simply repeating the teacher's ideas. Sometimes students resist this responsibility in the classroom and beg in frustration, "Just tell us the answers!" However, I believe that helping students learn how to learn is the responsibility of a good teacher. My involvement in using, writing, and editing decision case studies has provided me with a terrific tool for encouraging students to use critical thinking. There are no easy answers in a decision case, and students and professor are forced to evaluate together a variety of possible solutions.

An International Perspective: I am convinced that international experiences provide a unique preparation for students to become worldwide leaders. I often incorporate an international perspective in my course requirements and have directed a study abroad trip to Mexico since 2001.

Building Teaching Communities: In addition to creating our own classroom learning communities, I believe it is essential for teachers to create teaching communities for their own professional development. In 2001, I spearheaded a program of "teaching circles" within the SSR, which led to a university-wide "Teaching Commons" that I organized with other colleagues in 2006 (see http://www.baylor.edu/teachingcommons). Another example of community-building among teachers is my leadership in using decision cases. After attending a national working conference in 2000 that focused on teaching with cases, I shared this developing knowledge and skill as a co-presenter on case teaching at three national conferences. For the national and international social work community I authored two chapters on the pedagogy of case teaching and worked collaboratively to edit three collections of social work cases used by social workers in the U.S., Canada, and England, and possibly other countries as well.

Mentoring and Advising Students: I believe that advising consists of much more than simply helping students sign up for classes. We also work with each of our students to help them develop long-term plans for further graduate study and professional careers. In addition, I have had the opportunity to help two of mmy advisees with scholarly presentations, and to invite three of my graduate student advisees to publish articles in an encyclopedia for which I was Associate Editor. I have also co-authored an encylcopedia article with one of my advisees.

Research Interests:
Baptist women in history of higher education, case method of teaching, integrating faith and social work practice.

Books (Selected recent books):
Scales, T.L. and Straughan, H.H. (forthcoming 2008). Human Behavior and Social Environments: A Topical Approach to Development. Monterey, CA, Brooks/Cole, an imprint of Wadsworth. (Book of approximately 500 pages)

Hugen, B. and Scales, T.L. (forthcoming 2007). Christianity and social work: Readings on the Integration of Christian Faith and Social Work Practice, 3rd ed., Botsford, CT, North American Christians in Social Work. (Book of approximately 450 pages).

Scales, T.L. and Singletary, J. (forthcoming 2008). Social Environments and Human Behavior: Cultural Competence in Understanding Groups, Organizations, and Communities. Monterey, CA, Brooks/Cole, an imprint of Wadsworth. (Book of approximately 400 pages).

Scales, T.L. and Wolfer, T.A. eds. (2006). Decision Cases for Generalist Practice: Thinking Like a Social Worker. Monterey, CA, Brooks/Cole, an imprint of Wadsworth. (Book of 161 pages).

Wolfer, T.A. and Scales, T.L. eds. (2006). Decision Cases for Advanced Practice, Thinking Like a Social Worker. Monterey, CA, Brooks/Cole, an imprint of Wadsworth. (Book of 143 pages).

Scales, T.L. and Streeter, C. eds. (2004). Rural Social Work: Building and Sustaining Community Assets. Pacific Grove, CA, Brooks/Cole. (Book of 425 pages).

Ponzetti, J., Hamon, R., Kellar-Guenther, Y., Kerig, P., Scales, T.L., and White, J. eds. (2002). International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family Relationships, 2nd edition, New York, MacMillan. (Encyclopedia of 4 volumes).

Scales, T.L., Wolfer T.A., Sherwood, D.A., Garland, D.R., Hugen, B., Pittman, S.W. eds. (2002). Spirituality and Religion in Social Work Practice: Decision Cases and Teaching Notes. Washington D.C., Council of Social Work Education. (Book of 220 pages)

Scales, T.L. (2000). "All That Fits a Woman": Training Southern Baptist Women for Charity and Mission, 1907-1926. Macon, GA., Mercer University Press. (Book of 287 pages).

Selected Recent chapters and articles:
Scales, T.L. (2007). "C. Anne Davis: Pioneer in Church Social Work," In Twentieth Century Shapers of Baptist Social Ethics, L. Allen and L. McSwain, eds., Macon GA, Mercer University Press.

Singletary, J., Harris, H., Myers, D., and Scales, T.L. (Spring 2006). "Student Narratives on Social Work as a Calling." Aretê. Vol. 30, no. 1. pp. 188-199.

Scales. T.L. (2006). "Jewell Legett and the Social Curriculum: The Education of a Southern Baptist Woman Missionary at the WMU Training School, 1908-1909." Baptist History and Heritage, Winter vol. 41 no. 1, pp. 77-90.

Scales, T.L. (2006). "Using Case Method in the Social Work Classroom: A Guide for Instructors," in Scales, T.L., and T.A. Wolfer, eds. Decision Cases for Generalist Practice: Thinking Like a Social Work, Instructors Manuel, Monterey, CA, Brooks/Cole, an imprint of Wadsworth.

Wolfer, T.A. and Scales, T.L. (2006). "Tips for preparing and discussing decision cases" in T.L. Scales and T.A. Wolfer, eds. Decision Cases for Generalist Practice: Thinking Like a Social Worker. Monterey, CA, Brooks/Cole, an imprint of Wadsworth.

Aker, R. and Scales, T.L. (2003) "Charitable Choice, Social Workers and Rural Congregations: Partnering to Build Community Assets," in Scales, T.L. and Streeter, C. eds. Asset Building to Sustain Rural Communities. Pacific Grove, CA, Brooks/Cole.

Sherwood, D., Wolfer, T.A. and Scales, T.L. (2002). "Spirituality and Religion, Decision Cases, and Competent Social Work Practice." In Scales, T.L., Wolfer, T.A., Sherwood, D.A., Garland, D.R., Hugen, B., and Pittman, S.W. eds. Spirituality and Religion in Social Work Practice: Decision Cases with Teaching Notes, Washington D.C. Council on Social Work Education, pp. 4-14.

Scales, T.L. (2002). "Case Method Teaching in the Social Work Classroom." In Scales, T.L., Wolfer, T.A., Sherwood, D.A., Garland, D.R., Hugen, B., Pittman, S.W. eds. Spirituality and Religion in Social Work Practice: Decision Cases with Teaching Notes, Washington D.C. Council on Social Work Education, pp. 15-26.

Scales, T.L. (2001). "Social Work with Baptists." Chapter in Van Hook, M., Hugen, B. and Aguilar, M. Spirituality within Religious Traditions in Social Work Practice, Pacific Grove, CA, Brooks/Cole, pp. 185-204.

Courses Taught:
TBA