By Ashley Fultz
Dr. Tamara Yohannes, English professor, always knew in some shape or form she wanted to be a teacher, and feels right at home at the University of Louisville.
Yohannes loves teaching and students love her.
“[Dr. Yohannes] is probably one of the most passionate teachers that I’ve ever encountered,” said Nick Browning, a senior English and communication major. “With Dr. Yohannes, you can’t help but be interested simply because of the enthusiasm that she brings to the classroom.” Browning is currently taking his second class taught by Yohannes.
Originally from a little town north of Pittsburgh, Pa., Yohannes earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in rehabilitation home economics in 1973.
Yohannes moved to Denver, working as a rehabilitation home economist at the University of Denver for four years, and then three years as a home teacher for the blind.
While working there, she continued her education, earning her master’s degree in theology in 1980.
Yohannes first got interested in obtaining a degree in literature after she read her first novel at the age of 32, during one of her continuing education classes. She eventually earned her master’s and a Ph.D. in literature in 1995 from the University of Denver.
“I loved the ability to interpret the layers of the text. There were no ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. It was so exciting to me,” said Yohannes.
Yohannes moved to Louisville in 1990 with her young daughter and her husband, who is a professor in the political science department at U of L.
She saw a job opening for a part-time position at the University of Louisville in 1995, and has been in the English department ever since.
Yohannes has taught at other schools like the University of Denver, Spalding University in Louisville and Indiana University Southeast. According to Yohannes, she would rather be here than anywhere else.
“I love the university because I love our students. The difference between our students and other students is our students really have lives outside, really significant responsibilities outside,” she said. “They bring a depth of life experience to their studies that I really find refreshing. Also, I think our students are really focused. They know why they are here,” said Yohannes.
Students that have taken classes with Yohannes describe her as being laid back and open.
Browning and Ellen Whittaker, a sophomore English major, said that she allows her class to participate at all times, which mostly means class wide discussion of texts.
“Students thoughts and ideas are of the most importance to her,” said Whittaker. “From the very first day of class I got the distinct impression that she really does care about each of us and our success in class and out of it.”
Yohannes said her daughter might describe her as boring, but wwthat may be quite the contrary. Not only is she a full-time English professor, mother and wife, she also busies herself trying to make herself and other teachers more effective in the classroom.
Problem-based learning is a technique Yohannes uses in her classroom where an entire semester of class is devoted to a narrow topic.
More specifically, she formats her English classes to cover one subject or one author in depth.
Through her study of problem-based learning, Yohannes has found this style of teaching to be effective and well-liked by her students.
Yohannes has been teaching here at U of L for 12 years, exceeding her three year contract as a visiting professor.
And this dedicated professor hopes to stay here until the end of her career.
