No Time Like the Present

Book Review of Elizabeth A. Norell, The Present Professor: Authenticity and Transformational Teaching, volume 3 in the Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed Series

by Beth Petitjean, Digital Learning Specialist, Reinert Center

It’s nearing the end of July. You know what that means? This is the last in my mini blog series reviewing books in the Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed Series! If you’ve been with me all month, THANK YOU and I hope you found the other reviews enjoyable. If you missed “The Notebook” blogs for the last two weeks, take a few minutes now to catch-up on previous reviews to get the flavor of this series. Then, grab a refreshing beverage and settle in to read about presence.

I admit I was hesitant (perhaps even procrastinating a bit) to read this book. Some of that came from timing and end of Spring semester tiredness. I also knew I wanted to take my time since instructor presence is something I’m delving into all summer to develop a new online course on this topic. Also, a quick skim of the Introduction to The Present Professor revealed the word “trauma,” and the sentence, “By doing our own inner work, we can create environments that are heathier both for us individually and for the students we aim to teach” [2]. Those bits taken out of context seemed to indicate that there would be a lot of crunchy, feel-good, self-help language included in this book. I didn’t know if I wanted to do any “inner work” and I was wary about whatever self-reflection was necessary while reading. So, I waited. Finally, ready or not, I had to read it (deadlines can be a real motivator!). I’m happy to report, dear reader, that I was pleasantly surprised by this book—crunchy, self-help bits and all—and how very insightful it is.

In The Present Professor, Elizabeth Norell continues in the series style by writing a book that is heavy on theory (pulled from education, business, anthropology, and the social sciences) but written in a commonsense manner and balanced with a tremendous number of practical suggestions and strategies. What makes this book special, though, is the author. Liz (as she is called) practices what she writes, and is very much present in this book, so much so that reading it feels like being in her class or having a conversation in her office. After reading the introduction more closely, I was less hesitant—and excited actually—about whatever “inner work” would unfold in the following pages. Consequently, it was a personal experience for me, so I will only be giving a brief overview and some highlights here while encouraging you to read the book for your own personal experience.

Norell divides her book into two parts. The four chapters that make up Part I focus on a definition of presence, why it’s important in a classroom setting, and discuss many challenges that prevent instructors (and staff, and students) from being fully present for their students. She uses a powerful metaphor of backstage and onstage selves to describe the cognitive load that goes into teaching [13]. As a theater nerd, I knew immediately what she meant; we need to get out of our own heads when we step into the classroom just like actors must forget about their lives when they step onstage to fully become Hamlet or Ophelia in front of an audience. All the prep work actors go through to get ready for a performance has an equivalent in teaching. Norell writes, “When stepping into your classroom, you will be better equipped to engage students in authentic, transformative learning experiences if you are secure enough in who you are, if you have a sense of safety, connection, and self-esteem sufficient to allow yourself to be more authentic with your students” [16]. That is the crux of the book.

However, in chapter three, Norell addresses how academic culture is not conducive to authenticity, despite whatever rhetoric abounds. Scholarly competition, isolation, disciplinary silos, toxic department politics, imposter feelings, lack of mentoring, product over process, publish or perish, contingent work, and rank, to say nothing of gender, race, neurodiversity, disability, and identity, create a petri dish in which authenticity cannot flourish [23, 57-77]. Years of academic life flashed before me as I read this powerful chapter, and a lot of things started to make sense. There are systemic problems that can’t be solved overnight, but Norell’s point is that knowing what these “minefields” are helps us understand the causes of our inauthenticity and alerts us to the potential dangers ahead in our journeys toward presence. To keep the reader from spiraling, Norell points out the numerous “shelters” available to faculty trying to navigate the minefields of the academy. Guess what? According to Norell [78-81], teaching centers are a shelter! Yes, kind reader, here is another shameless plug for the Reinert Center. We are a shelter for you here at SLU; you are safe with us. We are non-evaluative, confidential, and here to serve (and I know I’m biased, but we are a kind group of people who are also fun to be around. And we usually have snacks available!).

The five chapters in Part II offer suggestions on the ‘how-to’ bits for self-understanding and self-acceptance. These chapters are standalone and can be read in any order, with Norell including a little blurb about the chapter on its opening page to help the reader decide whether to proceed. Topics include mindfulness, movement, imagining and playing big, personality, and biases. Part II is very practical, personal, and reflective…and I can’t do justice to it. However, a standout in this part is Norell’s application of yoga principles to education so that we become more than a “brain on a stick (body)” [127]. Norell concludes with pages of reflection questions and an adaptable roadmap to help discover your authentic self. 

So, dear reader, that’s the end of our summer book review series. I hope you have found these reviews helpful and that you’ve even started reading these books. Enjoy the remaining days of summer and we’ll see you at the Reinert Center!

Additional Resources:

“Experiencing Emotional Labor.” Resource Guide. Reinter Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning.

“Promoting a Culture of Care.” Resource Guide. Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning.

For more information or to discuss how you might incorporate these ideas into your courses, contact the Reinert Center by email or submit a consultation request form.