Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1036712
Fall 2018 | wyoea.edu 24 Fall 2018 | wyoea.edu Member Spotlight Getting to Know: Kate Steinbock Ten questions with the new Higher Ed Representative to the WEA Board of Directors 1. Name? Catherine Steinbock – I prefer to go by Kate. 2. Current role at your college? I am a faculty member in the Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Eastern Wyoming College, and I teach early childhood and elementary education courses. I have been in this position for 11 years. In addition, currently I am the department head for our department and have been serving in this role since January 2018. 3. Current role in WEA? I am the higher education representative to the WEA Board. 4. How did you get to where you are today/history? a. Why teaching? When I fi rst went to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was undecided between nursing and education. I always enjoyed my science courses, but I was not sure what I wanted to do for a profession. Once I transferred to the University of Wyoming, I found that I enjoyed the smaller class sizes in the education program and decided to pursue home economics education as a major. b. What did you want to be when you were growing up? It usually depended on the day, but it was a toss-up between a teacher and a nurse. 5. Greatest joy in current position? One of the aspects of my current position that I enjoy the most is student advising. I like working with students to organize and plan their schedules and transfer programs. I fi nd it to be rewarding when a student is able to fi nally articulate a plan and set some goals for their future profession. I also love teaching. Although I have had opportunities to move into administration, I have been hesitant to make the move away from teaching full- time. I anticipate the day will come when I will make the adjustment, but for now I am happy to continue teaching in the classroom. I think that public education is making progress in working with students to move them forward. I also think there are some incredibly innovative programs working to train students for careers that are more non- traditional than what we typically see public education doing and I am encouraged by this new momentum. 6. Greatest frustration in current position? One of my greatest frustrations in my current position is the bureaucratic loopholes that keep education from moving forward. I think it is important for educators to be responsive to the needs of business and commerce in order to prepare students for their future careers. Unfortunately, higher education tends to work at a snail's pace when it comes to change – I would like to see higher education be more responsive to necessary change. 7. Unique skills? What do you bring to the table that allows you to be successful? I am not sure if it is unique or not, but I am what I call a "processor" – I spend a fair amount of time listening and asking questions. Then, once I get the information I think I need, I spend time processing the information. I like to be prepared before I speak or off er my opinion and/or advice. I think that some tend to misjudge that aspect of my personality as being aloof or shy, but that simply is not the case. I just need some time to process. 8. What advice would you give yourself in your fi rst year of teaching? I'd have told myself to "not sweat the small stuff " and it will get easier. 9. Was there a teacher/mentor who had a great infl uence on you? And if yes, what did you learn from them? Like most people, over the years, I have had some amazing teachers whom I consider to be the "salt of the earth", but there are a few who stand out. The fi rst person who comes to mind was my advisor for my master's program, Dr. Michael Day. Dr. Day was the fi rst teacher who ever told me I was smart and I had the potential to complete a master's degree. Not only did he provide guidance and support, he was one of my biggest cheerleaders when I started graduate school. Never in a million years did I believe I could earn a graduate degree, but he believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. Of course, he did not have to do that, but I am so grateful that he did. One of the things I learned from Dr. Day that I will always remember is the concept of just starting something is half the battle. During those times when I would start to worry about being able to write at the graduate level he would tell me "start writing and you can fi x it later – just start". All of these years later – it is still great advice. 10. How would you like your students to remember you? I hope that my students remember me as a teacher who was supportive and encouraging of their goals. However, I also hope that they remember me as having high standards but always knowing that I believed they could achieve those standards.