UI professor Brian Wolf discusses his teaching techniques
When Brian Wolf left Idaho for the first time when he was younger, he never planned on returning.
But now, after eight years of working as a professor at the University of Idaho, Wolf said he is happy he got the opportunity to come back to his home state.
“I grew up in Idaho and I left and I said I’d never come back,” Wolf said. “And eight years ago I had the chance to come to this university and I’m really thrilled to be back in Idaho, as weird as it is.”
Wolf primarily teaches subjects related to criminology as part of UI’s sociology department in the college of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. Recently, he won the 2015 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Yishan Chen | Argonaut
Brian Wolf, a sociology professor, poses in his office next to a Metallica poster signed by his students. Wolf teaches several sociology classes focusing on criminology and takes students abroad to study the field.
Wolf wasn’t sure how to explain his success or his popularity among the students he teaches, but he said a part of it may be his increasing efforts to enhance the student experience.
Wolf said he spends a lot of time trying to do a better job of including students and listening to their feedback. He said he tries to be transparent with his students and engaging, even cracking a joke or two during his lectures.
“I am really committed to the undergraduate experience,” Wolf said. “That’s why I’m at the University of Idaho. That’s why I stay here.”
Despite this, Wolf said one of the most challenging aspects of his job is keeping the material he teaches interesting. He said while a lot of his subjects are appealing to students, he is always looking to bring in updated statistics to his curriculum to keep things current and relevant.
Wolf said even he doesn’t like to teach a particular subject for a long period of time. He said he likes to change the subject matter and try new things on a consistent basis.
“In terms of my personal teaching style, I would say I’m always adapting, trying to try new things,” he said. “And getting students involved and engaged, I mean that’s one thing that I’m always trying to work on and trying to do better.”
During the summer, Wolf said he helps students carry out internships and works on planning his future goals for the upcoming academic years. He said one of the objectives he’s always carried as a professor has been making a college education, particularly a liberal arts education, more accessible for all individuals.
Another goal Wolf sets for himself is internationalizing his subjects, mainly because it’s often difficult to internationalize topics to do with criminology, he said. Wolf has gone on several trips abroad with students to teach them about criminology in other countries. Most recently, he went on a trip to London over spring break with a group of his students.
“I’m really into internationalizing our curriculum in terms of the criminology side of things,” Wolf said. “It’s an area that can benefit a lot from international perspectives.”
Erin Bamer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Erin Bamer