The life of a professor is something most people would not understand unless they lived it every day. Most students don’t know what it’s like or how similar or different it is from their own lives and schedules.
Lisa Angelella is a professor of English at Kirkwood Community College, and she also advises the Cedar Valley Divide, the campus art and literary magazine. Like anyone else, she has her own daily routine. Part of that routine is waking up around 4 to 4:30 a.m. “It’s such a nice peaceful time of day. There are no emails coming in or distractions in the house, and I feel like I do my best thinking then,” said Angelella.
Just like students, she has a varying schedule, teaching on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but having a more open schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “I teach in the morning and in the afternoon, I grade usually,” said Angelella.
She is also taking a geology course, which she works on Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with her online courses that she teaches. “I like reading about nature, and rocks were something I didn’t know much about,” she said.
Angelella said she appreciates being back in the same shoes as students by being a student again. “I sympathize more with what it’s like to be in a subject that’s totally foreign to you and you don’t feel is a strength. I also am able to appreciate how smart Kirkwood students are when I see them in a subject that comes harder to me.”
Angelella said she values her students deeply. “I learn from their viewpoints and life experiences,” she said. “It’s nice when students have conversations outside of the formal context and come to office hours or stay after class.”
At Kirkwood, she said, there is a wide variety of people from different age groups and cultures, something she can also appreciate. “It’s fun to have the perspectives of different groups,” she said.
To unwind from her daily responsibilities, Angelella said she has a couple of relaxing activities. “I like going on walks, and cooking dinner is relaxing,” she said.
The life of a professor is a unique one, and by also being a student, Angelella said she appreciates both sides of the coin while also finding time for herself.
Categories: Feature
