Teacher Feature

When I started college approximately ten years ago, I didn’t have to worry about what it would be like to sit in a classroom because my classes were all online. Though I did eventually take some in-person classes at Black Hawk College, like my Spanish and journalism classes, they didn’t seem to impact me the same way that my first on-campus class at the University of Iowa did. That’s not to diminish those classes or the instructors in any way. The journalism class was very small and had a very different format than most classes, so it wasn’t as intimidating. And Spanish, well, isn’t every foreign language class just a little bit awkward?

I was terrified to attend my very first on-campus class at The University of Iowa two years ago. Sure, I realize most students are scared, nervous, and/or anxious to embark on the new adventure that college presents. But even though it had been nearly 30 years since I was in high school, all I could envision was my 14-year-old self who was timid and shy, who didn’t talk to anybody, who didn’t participate in class, and who barely existed. So, into my first class I walked, trying to convince myself that I was an adult now and didn’t need to hold onto those old high school anxieties.

Professor Kathleen Diffley was the instructor for this first class: “In-Print In-Person” literature class. Participation would make-up a good portion of the overall grade. I didn’t know if I would be able to speak up as required. Earning a participation grade in an online class is easily accomplished. You simply type your thoughts into a small box on a discussion board to people you will never meet, and whose thoughts about your ideas will never truly be known. Easy. But in this room, I would see reactions and responses of the instructor and the students around me. What if they disagreed with me? What If I said something wrong? What if I said something that everyone thought was completely ridiculous?

It didn’t take long to realize that, according to Professor Diffley, there truly could be no wrong response, unintelligent thought, or worthless comment. Before I even tried to make a comment, I remember some of the other students gave responses that I thought didn’t make a lot of sense, or was a way-out-there idea that had zero connection to what we were reading. Students around didn’t flinch or sigh or make any audible disagreement. And Professor Diffley, she embraced these ideas that I thought had no relevance. She’d pause, think about it, ask the student to expand on their idea, and discussion would be in full swing.

This was a welcoming place. I could speak my mind and share my thoughts and not worry about being ridiculed or laughed at or ignored. It didn’t take long before I played a vocal part in not only her classroom, but in my other classes as well. She created such an open, welcoming environment that gave me new-found confidence to participate openly. Thank you, Professor Kathleen Diffley, for putting me at ease from the very first day of my first class on a large college campus.