Issue #4 Fall 2009
Faculty Focus - Marlene Israelson, RD, MS, Academic Advisor, Clinical Assistant Professor, Nutrition , Dietetics, and Food Sciences Department

During a recent conversation, a good friend asked what I enjoy most about my role as an advisor and teacher at Utah State University.  I told him that I love the chance I get, every day, to be part of someone’s story – and how they become part of mine in the process.  To me, teaching is not about the teacher – and usually, it’s not even about what happens in a classroom.  Teaching is about what happens within a student.  It’s about what happens to their story after they’ve sat in my classroom or been in my office.  Sometimes I get to see that – and sometimes I don’t. 

My own story changed during my freshman year at USU.  As it is the case for many students, the transition from high school to college was difficult for me.  At the time, I was rather insecure, very awkward, and quite self-conscious.  I felt safe at home and with my family – but I was scared of the rest of the world.  I studied hard – but my main motivation for doing homework was a gnawing fear that I might be called on during class and not know the correct answer to a question. 

That all started to change when I enrolled in NFS 1020: The Science and Application of Human Nutrition (taught by Professor Janet Anderson) and later decided to major in Dietetics.  It didn’t take long to discover that faculty members in the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Department were committed to academic excellence and my individual success as a student.  They understood how critical it is for educators to do two things: teach and reach.  Those who TEACH empower students with knowledge, skills, resources, and tools.  But those who REACH inspire students with purpose, hope, vision, and direction.  The teachers I had did both.  They were competent in the classroom – but it was the “real-life connections” they established that motivated me to finish. 

Now, ironically, NFS 1020 is one of the courses that I teach.  This introductory course is required for all students majoring in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, but is also open to non-NDFS majors.  Because it fulfills a General Education requirement as a Breadth Life Sciences option, it is a large-enrollment class that attracts mostly freshman and sophomore students.  Sometimes it is challenging to connect with individual students, but I’ve learned that one of the most powerful things I can do as a teacher is to identify students by name.  When they realize that I see each of them as a person and not merely a number, they become much more invested in my class and are more willing to approach me if they’re struggling.   

I also start every lecture with an inspirational quote on a power point slide.  Initially, these slides were meant to be non verbal cues that I was ready to start class (since most are related to life more than nutrition).  However, I’m surprised by the number of positive comments students have made about them in my course evaluations.  The use of these quotes has become one of my favorite ways to encourage students to persist – and an excellent way to emphasize the importance of an education.   Simple reminders like -- “For the privilege of an education comes the responsibility of giving back” or “Courage is about doing what you’re afraid to do” or “People rise to greatness when greatness is expected of them” are motivating.  They help students see a bigger picture – beyond tests and grades. 

Finally, I challenge students in my class to recognize and create their own meaningful, real-life experiences with “textbook principles.”  Without application, the science component of my class is easily forgotten after a test.  Sometimes I get frustrated with students who believe that General Education classes are irrelevant and a “waste of time.”  Instead, I make an effort to help them understand that you can learn something valuable from every person in your life and every experience you have.   College is about “learning how to learn.”  Although details about certain classes may be forgotten in the future, the process of discovering and creating and improving is something that continues even after graduation.

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