In one of my online classes, a student posted that she wanted to be a teacher for three reasons: June, July and August. It took me a while to realize what she meant, but when it registered, I thought to myself how sad a statement this was. Instructors who do their time and really don’t have a passion for their calling, retire with students thinking “good riddance.”
It takes no additional effort to make a frown turn into a smile, or an extra word of encouragement when a student is struggling. An instructor’s demeanor and outlook go further than an excellent PowerPoint presentation ever will.
In my particular program, the accelerated Liberal Arts program, applicants are interviewed as part of the application process. Instructor Staci Bleecker, my advisor and English teacher, called me up and found out that I was 50 years old, out of school for 33 years, and had six children to take care of. After a lengthy conversation, she felt that I had what was needed to do well in the program and she took a chance on me. I will forever be indebted to her accepting me into the program, because if she hesitated or steered me into something else, I would have thought that I wasn’t good enough and left my dream to remain a dream. Sometimes all it takes are those words, “I have confidence in you and know you will succeed.”
MATC has several excellent instructors who regularly go the extra mile for students and the student responses are just a small sampling. You see them walking down the hall smiling, being involved in student organizations, speaking to their students in a positive and uplifting manner, having office hours to help a student with personal issues, as well as academically, etc. Who are these instructors? West Allis campus students tell us in their response to the question: “Has there been an instructor who has influenced you either academically or personally?”

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