Through the Eyes of a Professor
Students sit in class, absorbing information and practicing their critical thinking skills. When they graduate, we hear the adventures their education has allowed them to experience. We don’t often explore what the classroom looks like through the eyes of a professor. Bruce Brenneman has 47 years of instruction to his name, including 21 years in the public schools and 26 years at Houghton College. Even though he retired from the classroom, he still participates in Houghton’s Program for Accelerating College Education (P.A.C.E.). In his own words, you can see that for Professor Brenneman teaching is more than a job.
I have been involved with Houghton College’s P.A.C.E. program for over 12 years teaching the “Business Writing” course. Although I am now retired from full-time teaching, I enjoy being able to continue in the P.A.C.E. program. After 25 plus cohorts, I still look forward to working with P.A.C.E. students.
I look at this involvement from two perspectives: professional and personal. First – the professional. As a teacher (even a retired one!) I anticipate the challenge of presenting the material in as interesting and helpful manner as possible. Another challenge is making the four-hour class period a meaningful experience. Usually I find staying within the four-hour period the biggest challenge of all! I am always grateful when students tell me that they have been able to put to use the material discussed in class – even after one or two class sessions. These comments range from a renewed awareness of the importance of correct grammar usage, punctuation, word choice, succinctness in communicating a message, and how being sensitive to recipients of the message affects the tone and approach used in writing.
From a personal level, I continue to be impressed with the students who enroll in this program. They bring such a variety of experiences, backgrounds, education, and perspectives to the classroom setting. I admire their desire to succeed and their discipline to not only hold down full-time jobs but also accomplish the reading and assignments required each week. As the weeks progress, I enjoy the class dynamics as they share ideas and work together on various case studies from the business world. In these case studies students are asked to react to various situations such as bad news messages, writing recommendations, and reporting to a supervisor the result of research. It is interesting to listen to the discussion as the students share ideas and opinions, eventually reaching a group decision. Lessons are learned as they listen to each other – often disagreeing – but eventually coming to a conclusion which is quite effective
In my particular course, “Business Writing,” the students have two extra sessions as a result of two Portfolio papers they write on topics involving value systems and personal perspectives. The topics cover areas such as “What is important to me?” and “How can I make a difference?” It is both challenging and rewarding for them to react to these topics and many of them express gratitude for the opportunity to think through these ideas and then put their thoughts on paper. It is a joy for me to return at the end of each term to do a review session with them and to renew relationships. I appreciate so much the effort they put into these papers and how effectively they express themselves with maturity, vulnerability, and insightfulness.
I also greatly enjoy Commencement Day and being able to share this day of accomplishment with the students and their families. I am always moved by the speeches given by the P.A.C.E. students as they express appreciation for the program, the professors, the staff, but most of all, the relationships that have developed among the cohort members. I, too, appreciate the relationships I have developed and am happy to be a part of this program.
Bruce Brenneman, former assistant professor of theater at Houghton College, retired in May 2008 after 47 years of teaching – 21 in the public school system and 26 years at Houghton. He produced 102 dramatic productions during his career. During his last ten years at the college, he taught Principles of Writing to freshmen. He received his bachelor’s degree from Taylor University, Upland, Indiana, and his master’s from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut. He and his wife, Kathie, continue to live in Houghton where they enjoy cooking, reading, church activities, and being full-time grandparents to two granddaughters, Emma and Julia.
