Sara Sybesma TolsmaTeaching learner
What do you love about your job?
I love learning—and to be a good teacher I have to keep learning. I love undergraduate students. I love my colleagues. Also, Friday afternoons in the biology suite can be very fun. We often gather there to unwind and dream. It’s wonderful when students wander in and join us.
Name one of Northwestern’s strengths.
Its people. My colleagues are committed to Christian liberal arts education. When I have the opportunity to observe their classes, I’m always humbled I’m part of a faculty full of excellent teachers and scholars.
What is one of the biggest challenges in working with students?
Time. There never seems to be enough time to do all the good things there are to do—for my students and for me. Helping students learn to choose wisely from among many good ways to spend their time is a challenge.
Describe a favorite NWC memory.
Several years ago I was teaching a molecular biology course with about 15 students. I remember looking at them and realizing all but one was heading off to graduate or professional school. It was such a talented group, and they were really fun to teach.
How has your perspective changed now that you are a professor rather than a student?
When I was a student, I didn’t realize being a faculty member is hard work and very time consuming. I rarely take an evening or weekend completely off. As a professor, I have to remember how many life changes are happening to college students—being away from home, developing new social lives, learning to manage time, making choices—and how these issues affect their performance in the classroom.
What are your hobbies?
I read. My husband and I have been in a book club for 15 years. I garden, and I enjoy cooking. I’m involved in our church and in my kids’ activities.
Who inspires you?
My husband, my kids, my students, my colleagues, my parents. I am also inspired by people who take risks to make the world a better place.
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