LIFE

Featured teacher: Janel Baker

by Tim Cousino
Contributor

Q: How did you end up teaching at WCC?
A: I had originally submitted curriculum vitaes, sort of like a resume for academic people and applications to several colleges in the area years ago when I first moved to the Ann Arbor area. Then, sort of word of mouth, I heard that WCC needed to fill a position … the next thing you know I’m working. That was 10 and a half years ago, 11 this summer. A spring summer semester was my first semester. I started to teach HUM 145: comparative religions.

Q: What is your favorite thing about this school?
A: The students. My colleagues are amazing. This is a good school. I’ve taught at other places as well, but this is a very good school. What sets it apart really are the students. I love the diversity of the students: economic diversity, gender diversity, academic background diversity, age diversity, race diversity, language. In any possible way to be diverse, we have it all here. Which is amazing. And I get to have these conversations with students. I get to talk about humanities ideas and philosophic concepts.

Q: What have your students taught you?
A: Gosh where to start? To slow down; to not rush the material; to attend to the in-depth discussions and the dialogues. In terms of subject material or ways of looking at things, mostly what I’ve learned is specifics. Either specifics from a different country or a different language That’s a conversation that I didn’t know. Or from a different field of study. For example, right now I have a student in psychology and that is something I never really studied, and the student is able to bring that angle of analysis to the discussions and it’s really interesting. There are different perspectives and understandings although it makes it a challenge to teach. Because how do you pitch the material? But, it’s such a gift.

Q: What stories are you following in the news?
A: I scan the headlines at least once a day, sometimes twice. I’m looking for real-world stories or events I can use in the classroom. That’s why I do it, but I’m also a bit of a news junkie so it’s fun. With the subjects I’m teaching, it always matters, there’s always a real-world connection. I always check out the BBC.

Q: Favorite book?
A: The author I’m really kind of proselytizing about right now is Octavia Butler. She is sort of my current favorite author/ literary writer. I just finished “Kindred.” Previous to that I finished “Parable of the Sower,” which has a follow-up book I needed to read. She is a fiction writer. I wouldn’t call it science fiction. But it’s sort of alternate setting, almost futurist, almost like a re-envisioning. “Parable of the Sower” is set in the near future, recognizable mostly but also imagined as a dystopia.

Q: What would people do if they could live forever?
A: That’s so interesting because one of my students wants to do a paper or is talking to me about that. The longevity of life. Advances in biotech raises really interesting questions. Should we be pursuing that type of technology? My sister just texted me actually. She works at a university and they’re researching bio science stuff and she’s like “I have a question about ethics with this stuff. Let’s have this conversation.” And then there is the whole biohacking thing. The BBC has been doing a nice little run on biohacking. The most recent thing they did on that was talking about how a lot of people in this community have physical differences and so they’re coming into it with prosthetics and things like that and they’re discovering that they can become almost superhuman. How do you even come upon this unless people want to be tested on themselves?

Q: What courses do you teach?
A: HUM 145 which is comparative religions. HUM 146: Mythology. PHL 101: Introduction to philosophy. PHL 123: Critical thinking. PHL 205: Ethics. It’s not being offered this semester, but I’ve also taught PHL 245: Philosophy of Religion.

Q: Which one is your favorite?
A: I really like the comparative religions one. Mythology is fun, but I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite. I would also have to say Ethics. On the HUM side, Comparative Religion. I like the introductory course though because a lot of times that’s the only class of personal take. And critical thinking can be a blast. Well, I like them all so there’s my answer: ALL OF THEM! But for different reasons. Personally, where my further interests lie it would really be in the comparative religions and the ethics stuff. When I do my own research and writing and stuff it’s some combination thereof.

Q: If you weren’t a teacher, what else would you be doing?
A: I would love to own a bookstore since it’s your own business. Not teaching though? I can’t imagine not teaching, that’s the thing. I can’t imagine not teaching.