The teachers behind the teachers
We all have a teacher whose advice stays with us long after we leave the classroom: the teacher who took a little extra time, asked the right question, saw something in us we hadn’t yet seen in ourselves, or simply showed us what it meant to care deeply about the work.
Teri Payton Dexter, B.A., D.C. (`86) on what she learned from Henry Brockington, D.C.
students for much of their first year, giving him time to know them as individuals. “Our campus is designed in a way that allows faculty and students to regularly cross paths,” he says. “My office door is open. Students come in with one question, and it often leads to a deeper conversation. I value the trust they put in me and our entire faculty.” He now has graduates he communicates with
regularly who once came to him for advice. After 10 or 20 years in practice, some have become trusted colleagues whose experiences he can learn from, too. “I look at our students as future colleagues,” Dr. Cuono says. “That level of respect is key to how we support students.” As a pediatric clinician, Dr. Marriott treats
children who later become Palmer students themselves. She laughs when she describes herself at this stage of her career as a
“chiropractic grandma,” with former students now practicing across the country. “It’s a unique pleasure to hear from past students,” she says.
“I follow their careers and take pride in knowing I played even a small role in their lives.” For both professors, Palmer is a community of people who share a commitment to chiropractic, to learning, and to one another. Neither talks about teaching as merely a job. “Palmer is home,” Dr. Marriott says. “It’s where I’ve grown and thrived; it’s a place where my values and interests are valued and rewarded. I try to pay that back to our students every day.”
Teri Payton Dexter, B.A., D.C. (`86), remembers Henry Brockington, D.C., who taught endocrinology during her years as a Palmer College of Chiropractic student. Dr. Brockington knew his subject “backward and forward,” but what she remembers most is how he made students feel. “He had this great east coast accent,” she recalls. “He was really supportive to us, and his wife, Dr. Yvonne Brockington, was vice president for student affairs, in charge of student counseling. They set a great example. Students could sit with Dr. Brockington, ask questions, and know they would be taken seriously.” That example stayed with Dr. Payton Dexter as she moved from
student to clinical teaching resident and eventually into a teaching career spanning Palmer’s Iowa and Florida campuses. Over nearly four decades, she has taught thousands of students, carrying forward the same sense of curiosity and care she experienced from her own instructors. “I learn from my students as much as they learn from me,” she says.
“You really get to know students. You can tell when something is off.” For Dr. Payton Dexter, that attentiveness is part of what it means
to teach. Students, like patients, need to know they are seen, heard, and respected. Creating that kind of environment gives them the confidence to ask questions, remain curious, and keep learning. “I want them to know that patients arrive carrying a history that
may not be visible at first glance,” she says. “Being creative, asking questions, and listening — that’s how we bring competence and compassion together for the good of our patients. As instructors, we can set that example and expectation. That’s what great teachers like Dr. Brockington did.”
“I learn from my students as much as they learn from me. You really get to know students. You can tell when something is off.”
—Teri Payton Dexter, B.A., D.C. (`86), assistant professor, clinical sciences
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