While some professors always knew they wanted to share their passion for learning at the college-level as professors, others never thought their calling in life might lead them to teach.
Jennifer “Jennie” Lathem, visiting lecturer of geosciences, is the latter. Although she graduated from IU Southeast with her Bachelor of Arts in geosciences, it wasn’t until after she attended graduate school at Indiana State University that she discovered she enjoyed teaching.
“I switched [majors] all the time,” Lathem said. “When I went to grad school, no — but then, when I got into teaching, I loved it.”
Lathem began teaching in 2008 and spent two years as an adjunct before going full-time as a visiting lecturer this past fall when the position became available.
The current class she teaches, Physical Systems of Environment, fills up every semester, and, with the new waitlist program, teachers will not be able to over-enroll their classes.
Lathem said she sees this as a positive — with the possibility that it will provide her with the opportunity to teach more classes.
“I like working with students and being able to answer questions,” she said. “What I love about teaching is the subject. We talk about, and I lecture about things people can witness every day.”
Adam Lord, secondary education junior, said his introductory geography class fulfills a requirement for his major, but he said he’s thoroughly enjoyed what his teacher has brought to the class.
“I enjoy the subject,” he said, “but she’s a good teacher. She explains stuff really well.”
In addition to preparing the students, Lathem makes sure they are able to fully understand what she’s teaching.
“I definitely applaud her because she’s working hard,” Tyler Lusebrink, advertising junior, said. “I think [the class] is really interesting. She has made it interesting by tying in current events.”
Although, Lathem doesn’t currently teach any upper-level courses, if a full-time position were to open, Lathem said she would be interested in applying for the job and having the opportunity to share her knowledge in a variety of subjects in the Natural Sciences Department.
Lord and Lusebrink also said they would enjoy having her as a teacher again.
“I’d recommend her,” Lord said. “She’s one that’s easy to get along with. I’d take another class with her.”
In addition to teaching Monday through Wednesday, Lathem also has two young children — a 20-month-old girl, Ava, and a 3-week-old girl, Adalynn, who was born the week before spring break.
She said she felt fortunate to have been able to teach all the way up until the baby’s delivery — only missing one week of class and then having the entire spring break to relax at home with the newest addition to the family.
“The day I had her, they were scheduled to have an exam,” she said. “So, I was able to have someone proctor it.”
She also said juggling a new family and her job has been less stressful with the help of her family and relatives that live minutes from her home.
“I have tremendous help from my husband and family,” she said.
Lathem’s husband also attends IU Southeast and is pursuing an elementary education degree with a focus in social studies.
Lathem said she enjoys spending time with her children, which she said takes up all of her time. She said she also enjoys walking, boating and camping.
The outdoors are so important and interesting to Lathem that she has made it a goal to visit all of the national parks in the United States.
She said she has been to almost all of the national parks in this area and has even been to Tortuga National Park, a cluster of seven islands almost 70 miles west of Key West, Fla. She has also been to 10 national monuments and memorials.
“The problem will be Alaska,” she said. “They have 23.”
By JENNIFER
SCHONSCHACK
Staff
jschonsc@umail.iu.edu
