The clock strikes noon, and it is a beautiful day on College Green. Professors finally dismiss classes, and most students are eager to get outside, although some can’t help but wonder what the rest of their professor’s day entails.
Seeing professors in class, during office hours and walking around campus is typical; however, it may be hard to grasp picturing their schedules outside the classroom. There is no doubt each professor comes from a different lifestyle and background, sharing a connection with their childhood and young adult selves.
Krystal Geyer, a professor of entrepreneurship, was a first-generation college student among her immediate family and the second among her extended relatives. Geyer originally went to school to become a high school English teacher but eventually found her niche in entrepreneurship.
“The challenge of making classes interesting, engaging and relevant is something that energizes me,” Geyer wrote in an email. “That students trust me with their education and experience still blows my mind and it is a responsibility I take extremely seriously.”
Geyer said her day-to-day schedule is busy, but watching her favorite band, The Avett Brothers, in concert and attending book club meetings are just two of the several activities she does for fun.
Contrary to popular belief, professors do not conduct research and write all day. Some have to pick up their kids from school, while others may write books or paint.
Elizabeth Hendrickson, an associate professor of journalism, has several hobbies but finds joy in exploring nature.
“I love hiking with my dog,” Hendrickson said. “He and I did, on Saturday, an eight-mile hike around Dow Lake.”
Hendrickson said she also makes jewelry, including necklaces, earrings and bracelets and finds the process to be both relaxing and fun.
Similar to Hendrickson, other professors choose to spend their free time outside but instead explore beyond Athens. Thomas Scanlan, an associate professor of English, has traveled to places people often dream of visiting.
“Every place is so different that I have spent time in,” Scanlan said. “I think the place that has recently captivated me the most is Rome … I was there for a week with my younger son. We had very full days doing lots of fun stuff. What I realized is that I could easily spend a month there and still not see everything.”
Scanlan said he would go back to Rome in a heartbeat, but also has several fond memories of traveling to Vermont with his wife and two sons.
Apart from having a fun hobby that distracts from the chaotic semester, Ohio University professors are passionate about educating younger generations and hope to prepare students for future jobs and careers.
Eddith Dashiell, director and professor at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, has been a faculty member for 25 years and shares a connection to teaching and reporting.
“I decided I wanted to be a news reporter when I was in the fourth grade,” Dashiell said. “My fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Palmer, had us do a writing assignment … and as a way for us to spell the words she had us write a story. I don’t remember what I wrote about … but she told me I was a good writer.”
Dashiell, amid her several meetings and conference calls, plays pick-up soccer games Thursdays but said she finds motivation to teach the students who are engaged and interested in class.
“Those students who are still interested in learning, the ones who still pay attention and take notes and ask good questions, questions that I have to think about, they help me look at a topic differently,” Dashiell said.
The college environment can be hectic and at times, stressful, and it is important to have professors that care about their jobs and strive for students to understand topics in class. Hendrickson said one of her favorite parts about teaching is encouraging students to thrive in and outside the classroom.
“Making connections with undergraduate and graduate students (and) seeing the light turn on, whether that is one moment or over the course of the semester,” Hendrickson said. “Although I get older, the students never really do and it keeps me honest.”
Depending on his or her area of expertise, each professor finds satisfaction in introducing students to new concepts. Especially within the English department, a student may come to class dreading the material but leave feeling curious and excited about discovering a new novel and author, Scanlan said.
“One thing I love doing is introducing students to a new text, something that they haven’t read before and then watching them fall in love with it,” Scanlan said.
Scanlan hopes students understand that although professors grade their assignments, their ultimate goal is to watch them flourish.
“My role with my students is to help them be the best they can be,” Scanlan said. “I feel very strongly that before I become their evaluator, I’m also trying to help them do the best work that they can do … and that is very gratifying for me.”
Professors and students do not live entirely different lives but instead, find common ground in interesting hobbies that provide an escape from frantic and busy schedules. Geyer said although days can be long, she believes putting effort into each day is the recipe for success.
“We get one wild and precious life, use it,” Geyer wrote in an email. “Show up to every day ready to take it on, be true to who you are, take advantage of opportunities, ask for help, do work that you’re proud of, be curious and play.”
