Mullen Awardee Halverson Learns from Being a Student
German professor Rachel Halverson has taught hundreds of Honors College students during her years at WSU, and this fall she will lead a sophomore-level course using films to explore culture. While she wants the class to “experience the films as if they were reading an assignment,” Halverson will be watching-and listening-to the students.
“I selected the subtitled films to demonstrate universal themes-social change, German unification, and immigration, for example. I ask that the students reflect on what that tells them of their own culture.
“They are very astute visual learners. Everyone experiences something different. So when we discuss the clips in class, they offer insights into things I never saw myself,” Halverson says.
“In so many ways, my students teach me something new every day. I am often the learner. I have such an exciting job.”
This spring Halverson was honored as the recipient of the prestigious William F. Mullen Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, presented by the College of Liberal Arts, which is home to her Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures. The annual award is named in honor of Frank Mullen, late professor of political science known for his love of teaching both inside and beyond classrooms.
His widow, Marty, says that “Frank would be pleased with Rachel receiving the award.
“They shared a passion for the language spoken in Germany, one of the countries where Frank had been on a Fulbright. And, like Frank, Rachel enriches the lives of her students. She takes them on field trips and she does so much for the Honors students.”
Halverson says she never knew Mullen at WSU, but she is confident that she could have learned much about the profession from him. On her own, she is disciplined to look for ways to continuously improve as an educator. One way is to be a learner herself.
“I’ve come to believe that teachers need to be students also, possibly in something they have to think hard about and work at. Maybe even in something they’re not good at.”
For her, she says, that’s playing the piano. “I come from a long line of musicians. My mother and many family members teach piano and music. I took lessons from first grade until I was 16. About 12 years ago I felt I was too consumed by German so I decided to study piano again. I’m not bad at playing, but with the help of my instructor I’ve learned to practice being patient with myself when I have to try different approaches to play a piece correctly.”
Her choice to study music, and in turn to boost her teaching skills, may be more closely aligned than one might think. A study conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in February 2010 shows an overlap in the human brain’s processing of both music and words. Connections between human proficiency in both foreign languages and music are hot topics among linguists, psychologists, and neuroscientists.
“Ultimately, I love language-whether it is spoken among people or played on an instrument. I want that passion-and what I learn from being a student, such as patience-to make a difference for my students,” Halverson says.