Citrus college English professors Roberta Eisel and Gunnar Eisel are retiring together this upcoming fall. Although they are married, they teach in separate departments, have separate interests and have accomplished much during their careers at Citrus college.
Passion for Teaching
Both Eisels said they will miss teaching. Despite their different subjects and teaching styles, they both light up when talking about teaching.
Roberta Eisel first realized she wanted to teach when she was a student at Citrus. During her world literature class, a subject she now teaches, she presented a report about irony in Don Quixote.
“All of a sudden I looked around and I thought, they’re listening to me, and two things happened, I thought ‘what if I’m wrong, what if I don’t know what I’m talking about?’ and then I thought, ‘what a rush’,” Roberta Eisel said. “That tension, that edge of being able to share something in a new way that people haven’t thought of before, I mean that’s really exciting, and the danger that you can be leading people astray or misleading them, or having poor information or not being helpful, that’s what I learned at Citrus. And that’s what I try to do every single day, be right on that edge.”
Gunnar Eisel has taught classical guitar as well as music appreciation, history and theory classes and founded the guitar program, electronic music program, applied music program and helped develop the recording arts center at Citrus college.
He said that teaching keeps him young because when he is teaching 20-year-olds, he feels 20 years old.
Usually Gunnar Eisel is constantly tweaking and adapting his teaching methods to suit his students’ needs for the next lecture, next semester, but “there is no next time” he said.
“Teaching happens long before you become a teacher,” Gunnar Eisel said, “I don’t think you ever stop teaching, you just need to find an audience.”
Down Time, or not
The Eisels started teaching at Citrus College at about the same time and Gunnar Eisel said he thinks it is a good thing they are retiring together too. Gunnar Eisel said he loves to travel, especially to the desert, and now they can travel to visit their daughters and vacation together more easily.
Gunnar Eisel intends to stay busy after retirement. He is the General Manager for the Cactus And Succulent Society Of America and President of the San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society.
“I’ve got conventions lined up for the next six years,” Gunnar Eisel said. “I must get easily bored because I always have to have something to keep me busy.”
Roberta Eisel, however, said she is more prepared to relax, but will continue to volunteer at the Pomona public library.
“I should say something really inspirational, but for the most part I think I’m going to regroup, and reorganize my life, and relax,” Roberta Eisel said, “and do a lot if things related to Eugene O’Neill.”
April 21 the Eisels are going to see a performance of “Long Day’s Journey into Night” in the playwright’s house, the very setting for the story.
Leaving a legacy
The Eisels have left their marks on their respective students, but also the faculty and community at Citrus.
John Vaughn, now the dean of visual and performing arts, has known Gunnar Eisel since he started teaching dance as an adjunct.
“For years he ran our guitar program and did a wonderful job,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan described Gunnar Eisel as Citrus’ “legendary” History of Rock and Roll professor.
It was through campus communities that Vaughan met Roberta Eisel.
Vaughan said she was involved in Academic Senate. She served as President of the Academic Senate for two separate one-year terms.
Anna Villenuve, English professor and colleague of Roberta Eisel, said that “(Roberta Eisel) was a fabulous Senate President but also took very good care of our campus when she co-chaired accreditation. I am not quite sure how the campus is going to function without Roberta here.”
To those pursuing teaching, no matter the subject, Gunnar Eisel suggests adapting to the specific needs of the current students and avoiding preconceived expectations.
“It’s one thing to know your subject, it’s another to live it with your students everyday,” Gunnar Eisel said.
He used teaching guitar as an example, “It’s not about how many frets it has or how many strings, those are the mechanics of the guitar,” Gunnar Eisel said, “It’s not about what they know, it’s your willing you are to demonstrate what you know and help someone out, help them be productive.”
