Know Your Profs is an ongoing series of profiles on the instructors at Camosun College. Every issue we ask a different instructor at Camosun the same 10 questions in an attempt to get to know them a little better.
If you have an instructor you’d like to see interviewed in the paper, but perhaps you’re too busy, or too shy, to ask them yourself, email editor@nexusnewspaper.com and we’ll add them to our list of teachers to talk to.
This issue we chatted with Anthropology prof Kathryn Waterhouse about going on hikes with her six month old, wishing no one ever failed her courses, and becoming a more well-rounded person through post-secondary.
1. What do you teach and how long have you been teaching at Camosun?
Anthropology—the best subject anyone could ever possibly teach or take (in my very biased opinion, of course). I’ve been here a year and a half; crazy how time flies.
2. What do you personally get out of teaching?
I love sharing knowledge and participating in the process of learning for students. When I teach a concept/topic/theory and I can see students getting it and putting the pieces together and seeing the relevance of it, it’s the best feeling in the world. I get a lot from being able to share what I know and love, and hopefully I encourage others to find it as exciting and awesome as I do.
3. What’s one thing you wish your students knew about you?
There isn’t a lot I hide from students. I’m pretty open and use a lot of personal examples to illustrate points, but I sometimes do wish some students knew how badly I want them to do well in a course. I would love it if nobody ever failed a course of mine and everyone worked hard, did their best, and got through the course. The tests and assignments aren’t meant to be obstacles to learning but part of the learning process. My door is pretty much always open to go over material, figure out an assignment, or anything; you’ve just got to come by.
4. What’s one thing you wish they didn’t know about you?
How unfit I am and how hard it is for me to do burpees in circuit class.
5. What’s the best thing that’s happened to you as a teacher here?
Getting to know my students as individuals. There is so much energy, hope, optimism, and enthusiasm in the student body, and here at Camosun I actually get to know students and their ideas and dreams and goals. It gives me a lot of hope for our future.
6. What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you as a teacher here?
Honestly, nothing bad. Although one time I was encouraging a student in giving a presentation by saying that when I’m presenting I usually end up making a bit of a fool of myself and she just agreed, saying, ‘Yes, yes, you do.’”
7. What do you see in the future of post-secondary education?
There is so much that post-secondary education has to offer. Partly you are learning skills (hard skills and soft skills) that are going to be useful in future employment pursuits. But you are also learning about yourself, things that interest you, things that inspire you, and things that bore you or challenge you. I think all of this makes for a better, happier, more rounded person who can then face whatever challenge lies ahead. The challenge for post-secondary educators is to make sure everyone can see how valuable and important it is for all of these elements to be part of the education and not just focus on hard skills for employment.
8. What do you do to relax on the weekends?
I have a six-month-old baby monster, so relaxing is mostly spent hanging out with her and watching her incredible development from a ball of cells that didn’t do much into a little human. We go swimming, go for hikes, and nap quite a lot. I can’t wait until she is old enough to go on all sorts of camping/hiking/swimming adventures.
9. What is your favourite meal?
Lasagne. But the kind my mom makes; it’s different, somehow.
10. What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Not asking for clarification or help. People are pretty much always willing to help and want you to be the best you can be, so ask for it and appreciate it and everything is so much better.