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.
Do you have an instructor that you want to see interviewed in the paper? Maybe you want to know more about one of your teachers, but you’re too busy, or shy, to ask? Email editor@nexusnewspaper.com and we’ll add your instructor to our list of teachers to talk to. This issue, we talked to Camosun English prof Max Olesen about connecting with students, the possibility of online schools, and his choice between Christmas dinner and Passover dinner.
1. What do you teach and how long have you been at Camosun?
I teach English, specifically academic writing, and I’ve been with Camosun since 2013.
2. What do you personally get out of teaching?
I enjoy connecting with students as people and learning what they want to achieve in life. I really love when the barrier that always seems to initially be there between the students and the teacher gives a bit. We can then relax and really learn from one another as a learning community, rather than them always worrying about their grades or my judgement. Teaching can be a struggle some days, but when a class really takes off and soars, there is nothing better. Every day is different and every class has its own set of challenges and rewards. I always find it fascinating how I can begin three sections of a class in roughly the same place, but then class dynamics will transform each one into its own unique experience.
3. What’s one thing you wish your students knew about you?
I think something students might want to know not just about me but about all the instructors I’ve met at Camosun is how much we think about them and their educational needs outside of class time. We can’t just shut off our concern when the class is over; we notice when they are struggling with material or when they really get excited and engaged. I personally think all the time about how I could improve my instruction, make it more relevant to students and more engaging for them, and how I can help them achieve their goals.
4. What’s one thing you wish they didn’t know about you?
It would probably be some of my clothing and hairstyle choices over the past three years.
5. What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you as a teacher here?
The best thing is when a student who wasn’t confident about their skills in reading, writing, and expressing themselves finds confidence in themselves and their abilities. The very best thing is when they take the time to let me know that it happened.
6. What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you as a teacher here?
I’ve either been lucky or oblivious, but nothing too bad has happened to me in this wonderful place.
7. What do you see in the future of post-secondary education?
I vacillate between optimism and pessimism. I also vacillate between being optimistic or pessimistic about the same thing. Sometimes I think that there won’t be physical schools and we will be doing everything online, with students engaging at their own pace. Sometimes I think that sounds good, and sometimes I think that sounds awful. Whatever the future brings, I really believe that education is the silver bullet that can take down all the werewolves at our door. Education, becoming accredited, changes people’s lives for the better. We won’t have the better country and world we should always be seeking without ensuring our citizens are open, knowledgeable, critical, rational, and free-thinking. Jobs and prosperity are very important, but if we make the mistake of believing those are all education is useful for, then we will become a cramped and self-indulgent society. I want students to be ambitious for themselves and their world. I want post-secondary education in the 21st century to prepare for a totally unknown future by ensuring citizens are literate in languages, math, and science, and capable of critically assessing and analyzing the information and situations that they will inevitably face.
8. What do you do to relax on the weekends?
In May, my wife and I adopted a dog, Bea, who just turned one, so we spend most of our time ensuring her happiness and comfort. We hike, cook, spend time with family and friends, and garden. I annoy my wife with my news-junkie tendencies, particularly about politics. We also just bought a Mitsubishi Delica, so road trips and camping are also on the agenda.
9. What is your favourite meal?
My favourite meal is usually whichever one I am about to have. If it was a last-meal scenario, I would have a hard time choosing between Christmas dinner co-cooked by my dad and my grandma or my wife’s Passover dinner. My dad is from Denmark, as was my grandma, and Denmark is a place that really knows how to do meat and potatoes well. My grandma would handle the traditional aspects—get the gravy just how it’s supposed to be—while my dad would push it to more experimental places. My wife is Jewish, and Passover has probably become my favourite holiday. It has been a joy to introduce our non-Jewish friends and family to it. The brisket, matzah ball soup, mac and cheese, latkes, and, of course, the wine make it a true feast.
10. What’s your biggest pet peeve?
I’ve got two: injustice and a lack of perspective.