Dr. Toby Brooks on Teaching, Learning, and Becoming UnDone

As Director of the Academy of Teaching and Learning at Baylor University, Toby Brooks, PhD, MBA, ATC, CSCS, leads faculty development informed by diverse experience in education, athletic training, and sports medicine. He also brings a unique perspective to his work: Brooks is both a Clinical Professor and graduate student in Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences’ Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation (HHPR).

Brooks is pursuing his sixth college degree, a Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology, to expand his expertise and deepen his understanding of the Baylor student experience. From navigating Canvas to studying for tests, he brings new insights into his work as both a professor and faculty development leader.

“The last thing I want is to be so far removed from that part of my awareness that I’m not a compassionate educator,” he said. “When my students hear me talk about having a test coming up, it creates a connection that wouldn’t exist if the mindset were simply, ‘I’m the professor, and they’re the student.’”

Brooks did not always plan to be an educator. After graduating from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, he enrolled at the University of Arizona with the goal of working in Division I athletics while studying exercise physiology. When his academic schedule conflicted with his work responsibilities, he pivoted into the teacher education program—an unexpected move that reshaped his career.

“I had underestimated the importance of good teaching,” he said. “I assumed that good teachers were born and not made, so it was eye-opening to see and learn from teacher educators who use strategy and science behind the work they do, and that has been fundamental to the work I do now.”

Drawing on his background in athletics, he saw parallels between classroom instruction and athletic coaching. One example is “apprenticeship of observation,” the idea that teachers tend to teach the way they were taught. The same pattern appears in coaching. When educators or coaches have not seen evidence‑based practices modeled, it becomes difficult to implement them, even when research supports their effectiveness. Instead, they default to their own lived experiences.

Challenging that cycle is central to the mission of Baylor’s Academy of Teaching and Learning. Through hands-on workshops and faculty-led seminars, the Academy provides opportunities for Baylor faculty to explore, test, and observe evidence-based teaching strategies in practice. The Academy offers summer and winter faculty institutes, as well as Seminars for Excellence in Teaching (SET)—pop-up seminars that discuss ideas like flipped classrooms or integrating artificial intelligence in assignments. SETs are delivered by Baylor faculty who are using these things in their classroom first-hand, so they serve as examples to their peers.

Brooks’s interest in learning and growth extends beyond academia and athletic performance. He is also the creator of Becoming UnDone, a podcast focused on high achievers who transform setbacks into personal growth.

The idea for the podcast came during the COVID‑19 pandemic while Brooks was teaching a mental health course for athletic trainers at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. A class discussion highlighted the challenges student‑athletes face when separating from their athletic identities after their competitive careers end—an experience many of his students knew firsthand.

“It isn’t something we walk about enough,” he said. “We assume people move on, get over it, and start the next season of life, but that’s not always healthy.”

Those conversations inspired Becoming UnDone, where Brooks interviews high achievers across industries, including Olympic gold medalists, Navy SEALs, Grammy‑winning artists, and his own children.

“Every one of these stories includes setback, adversity, loss, or failure,” he said. “The question is: What do we do with that? What people learn as an athlete, an artist, or through another pursuit lays the groundwork for the great things they can do later in life.”

The podcast has a wide reach. In 2025 alone, Becoming UnDone surpassed 250,000 downloads and reached listeners in more than 100 countries. It has peaked at No. 4 in Apple Podcasts’ Education category and within the top 200 podcasts overall.

Hosting the podcast has shaped Brooks personally as much as professionally.

“It’s been an opportunity to grow, to develop new skills, and to help normalize the idea that failure isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of a comeback story,” he said. “It’s tempting to view failure as a period—full stop. But if we see it as a comma or a semicolon, something unfinished, it changes everything. I’ve been incredibly grateful to hear these stories and to gain that wisdom.”

Brooks continues to seek compelling voices for Becoming UnDone. Those interested in sharing a meaningful story of resilience, growth, or transformation can contact him through his website.

ABOUT ROBBINS COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Established in 2014, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences seeks to enhance health, quality of life, and human flourishing for all individuals and communities through education, research, and innovation. It includes seven academic departments—Communication Sciences and Disorders; Health, Human Performance, and Recreation; Human Sciences and Design; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Physician Assistant Studies; and Public Health. Robbins College offers 13 bachelor’s degrees, 10 master’s degrees, and six doctoral degrees, as well as nine graduate programs in partnership with the U.S. Army. Graduate programs in Robbins College are offered in a variety of modalities, including on campus, online, and hybrid.