{"id":23622,"date":"2025-08-26T13:52:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T17:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cfc\/?p=23622"},"modified":"2025-08-26T13:52:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T17:52:08","slug":"we-recommend-the-present-professor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cfc\/blog\/2025\/08\/26\/we-recommend-the-present-professor\/","title":{"rendered":"We Recommend: The Present Professor"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Why authentic instructors produce strong classrooms: Lessons from Liz Norell’s The Present Professor<\/i><\/span><\/h2>\n

September 2025<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Recommended by Scott Seagle, Educational Developer\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We all know it\u2019s hard for students to learn when they\u2019re stressed – but it\u2019s just as hard for us to teach when <\/span>we\u2019re<\/span> carrying stress, too. Between institutional pressures, global challenges, and the personal demands we all juggle, it\u2019s no surprise that teaching can sometimes feel like a heavy lift. That\u2019s exactly the reality Liz Norell takes up in <\/span>The Present Professor<\/span><\/i>, a book that feels both timely and deeply needed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cfc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/87\/2025\/08\/The-present-professor.jpeg” alt=”Book cover of %22The Present Professor%22 by Liz Norell.” title_text=”The present professor” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

\n

Norell, E. A. (2024). <\/span><\/span>The Present Professor<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/a>. <\/span>The University of <\/span>Oklahoma<\/span> Press.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Norell reminds us that our presence in the classroom – our ability to be grounded, authentic, and fully engaged – can make all the difference for our students. But being present isn\u2019t just about showing up with good slides or a clear syllabus. It\u2019s about doing the inner work: noticing the insecurities, stresses, and habits we\u2019ve learned to hide in academic spaces that often reward knowledge over vulnerability. By addressing those inner struggles, we create more room for teaching that really transforms students – and, honestly, transforms us too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What I appreciate most about this book is that it doesn\u2019t stop with theory. Norell offers practical strategies and research-backed insights that help us think critically about what presence looks like in our own teaching. For anyone wrestling with how to make their classroom more inclusive and supportive, her message is refreshingly simple: if we want students to feel safe and empowered to learn, we have to give ourselves that same permission.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a time when higher education feels stretched and uncertain, <\/span>The Present Professor<\/span><\/i> reads like both a guide and a companion. It encourages us to take a breath, to look inward, and to remember that the best teaching begins with the person we bring into the room.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_cta title=”Liz is coming to WCU Sep 11 & 12!” button_url=”https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cfc\/etle-fall-2025\/” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Register for ETLE” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#636363″ button_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

Be present.
Teach authentically.
Live Western<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_cta][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

To access the full collection of teaching-related recommendations, visit CFC\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>We Recommend<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why authentic instructors produce strong classrooms: Lessons from Liz Norell’s The Present Professor September 2025 Recommended by Scott Seagle, Educational Developer\u00a0\u00a0 We all know it\u2019s hard for students to learn 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