UW-Parkside
Emeritus Professor of Sociology 
Wisconsin Teaching Fellow, 1992-93
Reflections on SoTL experiences and practices by WTFS alumni
I taught in the Sociology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (UWP) from 1991-2021, a 30-year tenure. I came to UWP with little teaching experience and huge imposter syndrome. The WTF program (1992) helped me understand how to become a teacher and dispel many of the myths I had about what it means to be a good teacher. I recall that I was impressed with the morning presentations and had the opportunity to connect with colleagues across the UW-System in the afternoons. While I can’t recall most of the events from my participation, there are some important take-a-ways that I applied when I returned to campus. Here are some things I learned that were important to my development as a teacher in the classroom.
I remember one speaker telling us that he knew every student’s name in his classes. I, who muddled through attendance and mispronounced many last names, couldn’t understand how to do this. Yet, I knew this was an important step to connecting with students on a personal level. It took me some time to develop a strategy, but I found this practice to be most helpful. Around the second or third week of class, after students settled in on the classes they were going to stay in, I would arrive at my room about five minutes early. I introduced myself to the few who were seated and waited at the door as others came through. I shook hands with each person and asked their name. I tried to use each person’s name often. It took a while but was far better than avoiding getting to know each person on a personal basis. I realized that my students wanted to learn about me apart from my teaching role, as I desired to know them — their interests, work outside of school, family commitments. Opening myself up to students seemed to create a connection between us that was beneficial to learning. With this informality came a greater willingness to ask questions of me and afforded greater class participation. That first step — to get to know my students’ names — opened other opportunities for learning and created a welcoming environment that facilitated learning throughout the semester.
For the most part, I assessed student learning through multiple choice exams, with some essay questions included. This was an easy, but not very reliable nor valid way of assessing student learning. At WTF, I learned about assessing student learning based upon different learning styles that spoke to student strengths. While I did not know which students learned best visually, auditorily, or through interaction, I came back to campus determined to vary my assessment of student learning using different methods that tapped into different ways that students learned. What I learned was that using tests as assessment measures alone left me devoid of understanding what my students were learning. I learned that I had to engage students to become active learners by allowing learning to become an interactive process. I began using multiple means of assessment, e.g., class participation; actively engaging students to teach others in small groups and allowing repeated attempts to improve one’s work. In one respect, varying methods of assessing learning took a burden from me, that of being the “banker” of knowledge. But, in other ways, it added more work for me. For example, allowing students in my statistics class to redo their work after we reviewed assignments in class made more work for me, while at the same time, students’ learning of statistical concepts improved. Even more challenging was re-reading and re-grading essays that were re-written to address my questions and comments from students’ first submissions. Yet, I found that students were willing to put in the extra effort because they saw I was willing to accept changes in their work. I came to understand that both learning, and assessment should be a process that involves multiple stages. In addition to allowing students to redo their work, students evaluated each other as well. By doing so, they engaged in a mutual problem-solving exercise that was both self and other reflective. Another thing I learned over time was to be very specific about the criteria for submitting papers. The concepts to be discussed and their value toward a grade were made explicit through a rubric that I created for each assignment. This made verifiable the outcomes I expected from students, but I also asked students to reflect on their own achievements and what I had missed in terms of crediting their work.
One of the “biggies” with imposter syndrome for me was the issue of control. I felt that I needed to control the class process. However, in one situation, I had no control and had to allow my students to remedy the situation for themselves. This was very frightening for me but made me realize that I had to confront issues as teachable moments for both me and the students. In 1995, I had a student with mental illness in a research methods class. He would become delusional in class, shout out without notice and frighten others. I approached him and asked if we could discuss his behavior. The next class, he described his delusions and students spoke about their fears. Students agreed to tell him when he was becoming delusional or when his actions became frightening to them. In another situation, I had a student in my statistics class who would fall asleep in the back of the class. I jokingly said, “Get this guy some caffeine.” What I later learned is that this student worked third shift and came right to class after work. Furthermore, he was undergoing drug rehab and when I mentioned caffeine, I hurt him unknowingly. This was a teachable moment for me. I don’t know what my students are going through in their lives and my “jokes” may not be taken as such. It took some time to repair my relationship with him.
More recently, I and two former UWP colleagues conducted a series of focus group discussions with UWP employees. What they said about students at UWP hasn’t changed much since I began teaching some 30 years ago. Parkside students graduate believing they lack the competitive skills to find jobs. Many are first generation college graduates who do not recognize their achievements. As a first-generation college graduate myself, a child of immigrants, and a naturalized citizen, I felt a personal connection to many students I taught. I believe that a focus on competencies and connecting them to the achievements of students is crucial to their success. I believe there is an explicit connection among stated competencies, assessment of those competencies, personal achievement, and self-esteem. How this is achieved I leave to others who have an intimate connection to their students and a larger vision than I.
However, this brings me to the role of a teacher. A role should not be defined as having hard boundaries, but as an opportunity to advance self and others. Callero (1994) talks about using “role as resource” and our faculty, largely due to community engagement, have the resources to connect their students well beyond the university to realize a larger potential beyond than that of the student role. When I taught Senior Seminar for the first time students drafted resumes for their portfolios. I was struck by their inability to document their own achievements and skills. Thus, as we move our seniors into the job market, they seem unprepared to discuss their skills and do not connect what they have learned with their future success in employment or graduate school. The challenge is to connect the academic competencies we have for them with those needed “on the job.” Do students realize that the competencies we have set for them are those that can translate into skills for future careers? If not, then we need to make this explicit or perhaps, change our language. Have we started our resumes when students begin their college educations to better focus on achievements?
As one might believe as they read this, my identity as a teacher has not changed. I am still questioning the “teaching role” and seeking new ways to connect with others. Being a WTF was a huge step in empowering me to improve myself for the benefit of my students. It provided me with a basis for future connections with non-profits in Southeastern Wisconsin and a means for connecting my students to engage in experiential learning. Importantly, it gave me self-confidence to call myself a Professor of Sociology.
Callero, P. L. 1994. From Role-Playing to Role-Using: Understanding Role as Resource. Social Psychology Quarterly, 57(3). 228-243.
Biography:
Helen Rosenberg is Emeritus Professor of Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She retired in 2021 after teaching for 30 years. Her substantive areas of interest were in the areas of Mental Illness, Gerontology, and Substance Use among older adults. She currently volunteers for AARP and is still involved with the National Alliance for Mental Illness. She continues to write on civic engagement. Retirement has afforded her the opportunity to travel.
SoTL Publications:
Karp, D., & Rosenberg, H. November 10, 2012. Addressing community issues to develop a
liberal education for undergraduate students through community engagement. Paper
presented to SENCER Midwest Regional Symposium, Beloit, WI
Khoury, L. J. and Rosenberg, H. 2010. The importance of competencies to alumni of the
Sociology/Anthropology Department. In M. A. Cooksey & K. T. Olivares (Eds). Quick
Hits for Service learning: Successful Strategies by Aard-winning Teachers. Bloomington
IN: Indiana University Press. 112-114.
Marks, L., Matthews, N., Meyers, J., & Rosenberg, H. (April 13, 2014). Service learning
assessment: Creating a common rubric for shared learning goals. Paper presented to the
Higher Learning Commission. Chicago, IL
Rosenberg, H. & Marks, L. 2016. Challenges in developing a rubric to assess
community-based learning. Assessment Update. 28 (3), 8-12.
Rosenberg, H. Statham, A., & Folker, C. July 10, 2012. Faculty views on community based
learning as a teaching tool: Benefits, barriers and policy implications for future
engagement. Paper presented to the Annual Meeting of Engage Australia (Formerly
AUCEA).