Know Your Profs is an ongoing series of articles helping you get to know the instructors at Camosun College a bit better. Every issue we ask a different instructor the same 10 questions. Got someone you want to see interviewed? Email editor@nexusnewspaper.com and we’ll get on it.
This time around we caught up with anthropology instructor Nicole Kilburn and talked about being confused for Nicole Kidman, primates, and texting etiquette.
1: What do you teach and how long have you been a teacher at Camosun?
I teach anthropology in the Social Sciences department. While my academic and professional background is focused in archaeology, I’ve been teaching a variety of anthropology and archaeology courses here for 11 years. I appreciate the opportunities that the college provides to develop courses that I am personally interested in; since I arrived here I have designed a number of courses like the fairly new course Anthropology of Food (ANTH 204), Prehistory of British Columbia (ANTH 241), and the Archaeology Field Assistant Program.
2: What do you personally get out of teaching?
It’s a lot of fun to introduce new ideas to students and watch them start to think about the world in new ways. I am constantly challenged with different ideas and great questions from students, which is very rewarding. As a teaching institution our focus can be on finding innovative ways to engage learners in the classroom; there are always new opportunities that present themselves to teach ideas in different ways.
3: What’s one thing you wish your students knew about you?
I still get nervous in front of a class, especially with material that’s not my primary area of expertise (honestly, how much does an archaeologist know about primates?!). This is one reason why distractions like students texting and arriving late are derailing for me; if I lose my focus, I find it’s harder to teach confidently.
4: What’s one thing you wish they didn’t know about you?
My students end up knowing a lot about me because I try to use personal examples in class to explain different concepts. I can often use examples of my kids’ antics to make a point, so down the road I imagine there will be many things my kids wished students didn’t know about them! But I’m just paying it forward; my dad taught at UBC for 30 years, and when I started attending and had friends in his course I discovered that he told stories about his kids to keep them interested and awake.
5: What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you as a teacher here?
Every so often I will have a student who comes to tell me that a class has changed their outlook on life, has made them understand themselves in a new way, has made them a more tolerant human being; that feels really good.
6: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you as a teacher here?
I used to be mistaken for a student, which was humorous (especially when someone flirted with me at the gym while I was chatting to one of my students; she nearly fell off the treadmill laughing). Sadly, that doesn’t happen anymore. In my first semester here Camlink indicated that Nicole Kidman was teaching Anthropology 104 and there was a flurry of registration. I think some students were disappointed when the actress didn’t show up to teach the class.
7: What do you see in the future of postsecondary education?
My hope is that we will follow the lead of Europe and Asia and recognize the value of a broad liberal arts education. Students shouldn’t be here just for marks, but to acquire the tools to succeed in our modern world. There is a huge emphasis on the trades-oriented tools and applied skills that Camosun offers, but growing recognition in our business communities that the liberal arts “toolkit,” with elements like critical thinking, communication, and research skills, is of tremendous benefit in the workplace. I would like to see more recognition of this in our approach to postsecondary education.
8: What do you do to relax on the weekends?
Relax? I have two small children! But… I run for my mental health, enjoy spending time with my family (although not standing watching Saturday morning soccer games in the pouring rain) and like exploring local hiking trails and parks.
9: What’s your favourite meal?
Homemade pizza. I worked my way through university at a pizza joint so can make the crust with my eyes closed. Because of my teaching focus on food I have been doing a lot of reading about things like cheese and Italian identity. Recently I tried making my own mozzarella and we used it on a traditional Neapolitan pizza with tomatoes frozen from our garden—delicious!
10: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Students that pit me against Google with on-the-spot questions. There is a lot I don’t know, but am happy to look in to and bring back to class; having instant access to the infinite wisdom of the internet and then sharing this in class just makes me feel inadequate. Oh, and emails sent like texts, with no pleasantries or even a name. At the very least let me know who’s connecting with me (who is talltrees@abc.net anyway?).