Photo by: Paul Martens
Catherine Larson
Associate Professor of Spanish, Department of Spanish
and Portuguese, College of Arts and Sciences, University Graduate
School, IU Bloomington
| "‘Excellence' is too
modest a term for Catherine Larson's teaching record. By
any possible measure, she has compiled a record of uncommon
strength in this area. All the evidence describes a mature,
accomplished master teacher." |
| —Consuelo López-Morillas,
chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese |
|
Measuring and evaluating a professor's teaching is no simple
task. But in the case of Catherine Larson, regardless of the method
used, the conclusion is the same—outstanding.
Timothy Farley, associate professor of French at Truman State University,
can provide some insight into Larson's success. "What
I particularly noted while observing Dr. Larson teach," he
said, "was her ability to determine what information students
will need to successfully interact with the text. During the course
of class discussion, she will introduce a literary term here or
a historical fact there. What is exceptional is her ability to time
these economical moments. It is as if she has a sixth sense for
‘teachable moments' and knows how to exploit them."
Of course, this does not happen by accident. "I am passionate
about my teaching," Larson said, "and I invest a great
deal of time and energy in it." She is consistently seeking
to evolve and grow as a teacher and is committed to engaging students
"actively, interactively and creatively." This means more
"hands-on" work, with her students producing Web pages
on Don Quixote, writing original sonnets in Spanish, creating literary
parodies, making paintings, devising board games and performing
theatrical texts.
Larson's work with students extends far beyond the classroom.
Scores of graduate students have looked to her as a mentor. She
helps graduate students polish their written work, encourages them
to present it at conferences and submit it for publication, and
then offers continued support over the years as they establish themselves
in the profession.
In recognition of her talents, Larson has been honored with IU's
Teaching Excellence Recognition Award and the Faculty Colloquium
on Excellence in Teaching Award. She also won honors for her work
as co-director of the Semana Cervantina, a distance learning
project on Don Quixote that served hundreds of Indiana high
school students.
Perhaps Farley summed it up best when he said, "Having taught
for over 20 years, I have yet to meet a better teacher than Catherine
Larson."
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