Heather Sullivan-Catlin
Department of Sociology
SUNY-Potsdam
The ability to think straight, some knowledge of the past, some vision of the future, some skill to do useful service, some urge to fit that service into the well-being of the community ... these are the most vital things education must try to produce.
from...Many a Good Crusade by Virginia Gildersleeve
As an educator and a sociologist, I believe I have a responsibility to help my students become aware of the wider communities to which they belong and learn how to effectively contribute to them. I accomplish this in a number of ways. First, I relate local, national and global current events to the concepts I’m teaching and encourage the students to do so, as well. For example, recent news articles about social scientific research are excellent tools for analysis and critique in an introductory methods course.
Second, I employ a form of experiential learning known as service-learning. Service-learning combines course-related community service activities with reflective and integrative curricular activities (e.g. directed journal writing, small group discussion, and research papers). This pedagogy brings students a deeper understanding of course content and its relevance to their lives. Service-learning also fosters a commitment to service and provides students with the skills and experience that will enable them to participate in their communities.
Third, I often incorporate a public policy perspective in order to contextualize the issues of the course. When teaching about social issues, for example, I find it useful for students to understand both proposed policy changes, which are often based on sociological findings, and the barriers to their implementation.
I view teaching as a reciprocal process and the classroom as a learning community. I emphasize each student’s responsibility to contribute to the development of our learning community, first and foremost through active participation. I value the interactive nature of the classroom and seek to enhance it through a variety of teaching approaches including small group discussions, active and collaborative learning activities, student presentations, and extensive service-learning projects.
My commitment to teaching is not limited to the classroom. I believe good professors are ones who actively participate in the campus and wider communities. This means attending campus programs and events, working on administrative committees, mentoring students, advising student organizations, and being active in the surrounding community.
This is an exciting time for both college students and professors. The tools for both teaching and learning are innovative and numerous. I will continue to seek new ways of creating a stimulating learning environment for my students and, in turn, for myself.