Greg Pratt
Editor-in-chief
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 an 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 Brenda Clark and talked about unzipped zippers, her potty mouth, and being late. Don’t be late!
1: What do you teach and how long have you been a teacher at Camosun?
I have been teaching at Camosun for 22 years. In addition to teaching our Introductory Anthropology course, I teach Prehistory of Pacific Cultures, Human Evolution and Diversity, and Forensic Anthropology. My main specialization in anthropology is bioarchaeology, the study of human remains from the past.
2: What do you personally get out of teaching?
Anthropology is a passion for me, so teaching gives me a captive audience, so to speak, to talk about all things anthropological. The best moments come when students make a connection between what we are discussing in class and their own lives. Teaching the second-year labs is the most fun for me because it is more informal than lectures and I get to interact with the students on a one-to-one basis.
3: What’s one thing you wish your students knew about you?
I love to travel. When I travel, I like to find places where I can explore the natural and cultural landscapes. So being outdoors in places like the Amazon or the Arctic, or rural England or rural Vancouver Island, is the best sort of experience for me. I find it impossible not to find at least one archaeological site to visit when I am travelling.
4: What’s one thing you wish they didn’t know about you?
Well, I have been told that I have, on occasion, a “potty mouth.” So I work hard at not having naughty words escape my lips.
5: What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you as a teacher here?
Although it sounds counterintuitive, teaching can be isolating. Therefore, I am extremely lucky to have the most wonderful anthropology colleagues. Tara [Tudor], Nicole [Kilburn], and I have worked together for the better part of a dozen years, and it’s been great. We share ideas about teaching, research, marking, gardening, child rearing, and lots of other things.
6: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you as a teacher here?
Several years ago I was lecturing to my second-year students. Since it was a two-hour class, we had a break at the 50-minute mark. At the break, a student came forward and slipped a folded piece of paper across the table towards me. I unfolded the note and read: “Your zipper is undone.” In this type of situation, you can either crawl away in embarrassment or you can laugh. I laughed. Now, I always check my zippers and buttons before class.
7: What do you see in the future of postsecondary education?
I might as well put in a plug for the social sciences, which must continue the excellent work of helping students develop the skills they will need in a dynamic workplace: critical thinking, problem-solving, understanding people, and understanding processes of change in both institutions and societies. These are skills that prepare students for a variety of jobs and a variety of situations. I think there also needs to be a bit of change in public attitudes surrounding skilled and unskilled labour. Canada needs all kinds of workers to make our society function well, and not everyone wants or needs to attend a college or university.
8: What do you do to relax on the weekends?
I have a very large garden, so I spend lots of time planting, weeding, pruning, and creating outdoor space to relax in. I am also an avid reader, especially of murder mysteries, though I am currently reading [astronaut] Chris Hadfield’s memoir.
9: What’s your favourite meal?
Barbecued sockeye salmon and corn on the cob is a favourite summer meal. In winter I really like a good curry.
10: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Students coming late to class. It drives me nuts.