Passion for teaching and keeping students actively engaged in the learning process is John Maag’s trademark as a professor of speech language pathology at the College of Education and Human Sciences.

For his talents as a teacher, Maag has been selected for the Donald R. and Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence. Maag, professor of special education and communication disorders, will receive a $12,500 award during an awards luncheon March 14 in Lincoln.

The award recognizes teachers who promote critical and creative thinking, encourage engaged and continuous learning, hold high standards for student performance, provide ample support and work to improve teaching. Maag exudes these principles, and his 24 years of service at UNL are also characterized by his personal philosophy of teaching: “It is my mission to display an energy and passion for teaching that students find contagious, inspiring, motivational and informative,” he said.

Maag has written a textbook, three additional books, and more than 100 articles and book chapters about behavior management. His passion is providing training to preservice and practicing teachers in effective methods for managing the challenging behaviors some students display in school. Maag often disagrees with traditional responses to student misbehaviors and challenges his students to think outside the box. He advocates and teaches positive behavior management skills and support systems that promote prosocial behaviors and respect and compliance to teachers.

The award is presented by the College of Education and Human Sciences and funded through a generous gift by Donald R. Swanson of Lincoln.