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Willis 114: An Influential Classroom

A review of all five classes that Fátima has taken in Willis 114.

A review of all five classes that Fátima has taken in Willis 114.


With 13 academic buildings on campus, Carleton must have hundreds of classroom spaces ranging from traditional lecture halls to photography studios and everything in between. And yet, I find myself coming back to Willis 114!

Willis Hall was the first and founding building of Northfield College (later renamed Carleton College). In its beginnings, Willis was a library, a dorm, a dining hall, and an academic building all at the same time! Today, over 156 years later, Willis is home to the Economics, Linguistics, and Educational Studies departments (a central piece to the puzzle of Willis 114).

A black and white picture of Willis Hall.
The historic Willis Hall, back when it wasn’t surrounded by any other buildings!

As an Educational Studies minor, it then makes perfect sense that I often take courses in Willis. What is interesting, however, is the fact that in the six terms that I have been on campus (excluding the term I was on an Off-Campus Study program), I have taken a total of five classes (that’s an average of almost one per term!) in the same classroom: Willis 114! So, since I seem bound to this space, I figured it’d be worth it to review each of these courses. 

EDUC 262 – Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy

This was my first Educational Studies course and my first time at Willis 114. I took Professor Deborah Appleman’s course during my first winter term and fell in love with the discipline. To this day, EDUC 262 remains perhaps my favorite course at Carleton and the most influential in my academic and professional development, as it helped me realize my passion for pedagogical issues and got me thinking about becoming a teacher.

EDUC 110 – Introduction to Educational Studies

Already set on becoming an Educational Studies minor, I took EDUC 110 during my first spring term. Taught by Professor and alumni Jeff Snyder, this course, though certainly not as groundbreaking as EDUC 262 was (keep in mind, that is an extremely high bar), was still enjoyable. It gave me the foundations of thought and theory that I would later continue exploring in my pedagogical journey.

SPAN 242 – Introduction to Latin American Literature

This Spanish course, taught by the brilliant Prof. Silvia López, was part of my schedule during my sophomore year’s winter term. This was also my first time taking a college course in my native language, at times an uncomfortable, but never boring experience of intellectual and self-discovery. I will always remember fondly the discussions we had around Mario Benedetti’s La Tregua, arguing over the book’s protagonist’s morality and life choices.

EDUC 234 – Educational Psychology

This is one of two courses I am taking this term that are taught in Willis 114. Once again, I am lucky enough to have Professor Deborah Appleman as my instructor. I am particularly enjoying the practical component of this course, which requires us to observe and tutor at a local school to explore how, if at all, the concepts that we learn about in the classroom apply in the real world. I have been paired with a 4th and 5th-grade teacher at Prairie Creek Community School, and I couldn’t be more excited!

A group of young students sits on the ground on an open field.
During my visits to Prairie Creek, I get to spend a lot of time outside with the kids!

EDUC 338 – Multicultural Education

Professor and Carleton alumni Ryan Oto is teaching concurrent courses EDUC 138 and EDUC 338. They are both essentially the same course, except that the workload for the 300-level version is a bit more demanding. We have been learning a lot from Ryan, a former middle and high school teacher himself, and his own experiences in multicultural classrooms and school settings.

 

I have undoubtedly fallen victim to the Willis 114 spell, and what a good spell to be blessed by! 


As a junior, Fátima (she/her) is excited to continue her pursuit of a SOAN major and (hopefully!) Educational Studies, Latin American Studies, and Cross-cultural Studies minors. Outside class, she enjoys her leadership roles with Fellowship in Christ and the Undergraduate Journal for Humanistic Studies. In her free time, Fátima likes spending time with her mentee, poorly playing the piano, watching cartoons, and desperately missing her dog, Cosmo. Meet the other bloggers!