Faculty Profile Answers (and extended questions):State your name: David Hildreth.

What department do you teach in? In the department of Education Studies.

What classes do you teach within that department? We’re very collaborative in what we do here, so we all essentially rotate. But we focus on certain things. I mainly focus on secondary education, but I also do some in elementary education, but to be specific, I teach ED – 201, ED – 202, a portion of the ED – 306 to 9 sequence, ED – 420 and 440, ED – 312 and ED – 313.

Q. What exactly is – for people that might not know and are thinking possibly to come to Guilford and might possibly want to pick a major, what is education studies?

A. Education studies is a way to, forgive the pun, study education. And specifically, for those who are interested in being educators, it’s a way to come in and explore the possibility of being an educator, took look at themselves and decide if and how can they can be successful as educators in the public or private schools.

Q. So then it would be safe to assume that most people who are Ed Studies majors become teachers in public and private schools, and possibly even colleges or universities?

A. Exactly. We have a concentration and they don’t get a license via the concentration, but they do get a good sense for what it’s like to be an educator in any capacity.

Q. If you don’t mind me asking, what is your educational background?

A. My field is specifically science, curriculum and instruction. I’ve got a focus in biology and animal behavior. But I’ve got a Ph.d in curriculum and instruction.

Q. Wow… animal behavior, I like that. I worked with apes at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthroplogy.

A. Ok, that’s right, I think I might have spoken with you about that in the past… or someone told me about that, or maybe I read about it. So in ethology, I studied secadas. But I decided I wanted more to help teachers learn to teach science to kids because most kids enjoy and like science, until something has kind of led them not to, and I want to help alleviate that.

Q. Is that something that you are also striving to do at Guilford as well?

A. We don’t now officially have a science licensure program, but we are exploring that. The science faculty seem to be very willing to explore that, especially Thom Espinola. But I am a public school teacher. Tomorrow I’m actually going to teach science to kindergarteners.

Q. Why did you become a college professor?

A. Well to be frank, a couple reasons. I had a aunt who was a professor and I remember her talking about it so it intrigued me, the day when I taught in the public school, I remember thinking, “I want to help people who want to teach science.” And the best way to do that for me to help people who wanted to be teachers. I feel like I could reach more people that way.

Q. Who had the biggest impact on your educational experiences?

A. I would have to say in general, the students

Q. Oh really?

A. Yeah. One of the things we really try to get our students to due is reflect and think about themselves as an educator and a teacher-learner. And I think since we as professors in Ed. Studies department think of ourselves as teacher-learners, we learn from out students, and since we learn from out students, that has a big impact on us. And I also say just my department as well, just working here at Guilford.

Q. So you really learn a lot from your students, as they learn from you huh?

A. Yeah, that’s what all good teachers should do.

Q. Well, I think that’s a very interesting point you just made, something that a lot of people might be interested in. Can you think of an example off the top of your head of how you actually might have learned from one of your students?

A. Let me think for a minute… I can think of a generality. I remember just trying to describe a concept or an idea to a student and they were thoughtful enough and they said “well, how about this?” or “did you think about that?” And a lot of times I haven’t. Or what would happen if this, or if that. And in working collaboratively together, new learning and meaning emerges. And that’s really good.

Q. Well going back to the question of who had the biggest impact on you educational experiences, so I assume that during pursuing a career in teaching, you would say the students have had the biggest impact… do you have a role model of any kind?

A. You know, I don’t have one particular person I would say, again, I have a lot of teachers along the way that I like to “steal” parts of what I thought was really good. So it’s more a “metamorphosis” of different teachers. Some people zero right in on certain theorists, or things of that nature. I would say my major professor I worked with would be, if I had to name one person as a kind of a “role model” that I try to follow her approach to teaching, but mainly again it would be the students.

Q. Other than the subject matter of your classes, what is one thing that you want your students to take away from your classes?

A. That being an educator is a privilege, and it’s always important to remember that, and that it’s always important to look within yourself to be the best educator you can be.

Q. What do you expect from your students when they’re taking your class?

A. To try hard, which sounds like a clich, but to try hard and mainly to question themselves and question me and to challenge themselves, and me, as we explore ways that will make them the best educator they can be.

Q. So basically, a lot of critical analysis, critical thinking…