I believe that an effective resource manager needs to combine theory, skills and reflection to achieve any sustainable solution for the environmental problems that they must face.
A necessary component of my teaching is to show by example. To be an effective teacher, I must be an effective practitioner. I then can use my ongoing working experience to temper and ground the theory.
Such a dose of reality in my courses spans the spectrum from identifying and framing an environmental problem to developing a viable solution. Not only does such a solution need to be technically feasible, but it also must be environmentally sound, economically wise, and politically acceptable.