Beach
teacher challenges, inspires students
By
Kristen Wooley
Daily Forty Niner
It's
not hard to think of a great writer like
William Shakespeare, lighting a fire in
people and proposing ideas that challenge
his followers, like it is to imagine there
being exciting material in a social theory
political science class. That is precisely
what political science professor Edwin Roberts
is trying to embody in his classrooms at
Cal State Long Beach, challenge and ideas.
Since
1991, Roberts has been teaching at CSULB
and he has found that one of the most rewarding
things about his career is "bringing
to students ideas and concepts that they
may never have been aware of or looked at
beyond the level of appearance, and when
they challenge themselves and wrestle with
these ideas, there is that ah-ha moment,
as I like to call it, and that is brilliant,"
Roberts said.
The
jolly, 41-year-old professor is definitely
a crusader for the passion in teaching and
he speaks excitedly about a memorable "ah-ha,"
moment he enjoyed with his students. He
was speaking about the issue of freedom
of choice and started out by telling the
students that they were thirsty and they
could choose between drinking a glass of
ale or a glass of beer. When everyone made
their decision, Roberts asked if that was
the student's freedom of choice.
"They
said yes and I said, no, it isn't. I chose
for you and you merely stated a preference.
Everyone in class did this giant ah, that
shook the walls almost. Those are the things
I love to do, I love to come at them at
very simple level, very ordinary and then
it becomes a very complex discussion of
larger issues. Those are the crescendo moments,
where you can here the thunder in your head.
They become struck by the notion that they
can reflect on what they are learning and
that it isn't merely a matter of supping
up information in facts," Roberts said.
Roberts
also expresses his fascination with the
power of human creativity. Exercising his
own creative gene, he plays the piano and
has been doing so since he was 13. Also
delving into his creative sense, Roberts
paints resin figures and studied judo for
20 years.
"I
found karate to be too militaristic."
Roberts said. "I understood judo as
an art. There is finesse involved."
Aside
from judo and enlightening young minds,
Roberts sad his most valuable treasure is
his family, or the unit, as he refers to
it. "Everything I do is a reflection
of them," Roberts said.
That
craving to reach students using different
and inventive ways has made a difference
to two students in one of his classrooms,
but several students in the class chimed
in and laughed about Roberts different ways.
"He's
interesting and very animated," Stephanie
Delgado, political science major, said.
"Everyday
is interesting because you never know what
to expect," Anthony Leach, political
science major, said. "He's here because
he wants to be. He likes what he does and
he's not just doing it for a pay check."
"Everyday
is interesting because you never know what
to expect. He's here because he wants to
be. He likes what he does and he's not just
doing it for a pay check."
-- Anthony Leach,
political science major
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