Professor Charles Hallisey
Department: Languages and Cultures of Asia
Every day there's a potential he could say something that would completely change the way I looked at the world,\ said Pete Valeo, a UW-Madison senior, about Professor Charles Hallisey's classes.
Perhaps this view of Hallisey's teaching is why Valeo created the ""Charles Hallisey Fan Club"" in the first place, and why 57 members joined. Perhaps this is also the reason why Hallisey had an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 on www.ratemyprofessor.com, in addition to many rave reviews and a teaching award. Whatever the reason, it appears that he is doing something right.
According to Valeo, a religious studies major, Hallisey helps his students understand the rationale behind all of the religions he teaches.
""He teaches it like it's alive, not just a body of facts,"" Valeo said.
Hallisey's style of teaching is certainly alive and active, as he looks to his students for new perspectives and ideas.
""I think thoughts that I can't think on my own. There's some kind of collective learning,"" Hallisey said about teaching.
Hallisey, who has been teaching for 20 years, claims that his students can continually help him see a book that he has thoroughly studied in a new light.
""Even though I've read it many times, something new comes every time,"" he said.
This unwavering quest for knowledge and understanding is clearly present in Hallisey. Questions appear to be the guiding light of his classes, often focusing on the question, ""What makes me human?""
""Every class is answering something new, even if it is the same question,"" he said.
Hallisey helps to examine these questions using different techniques than most professors.
""I tell the stories, because I'm trying to think of something close and at hand, but also concrete,"" he said.
Although some of Hallisey's questions may never be completely answered, the ideas that he presents are what make his classes worthwhile to his students. He demonstrated this affection when he fondly discussed students who wrote to him after they were reminded of his class during a movie or a trip.
Valeo accounts for Hallisey's memorable teaching as he says, ""He's a professor that will make a lasting impression, beyond just the content he teaches.""
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