Prof. Ethan Hollander (Associate Professor of Political Science), presented at the 2016 Ides of August on his sabbatical work, and also his experiences as a student during sabbatical (in Prof. Jane Hardy’s Modern Linguistics course, and several online courses). Below, he describes his experiences, and speaks to the value of seeing the classroom again from a student’s perspective.

Confucius said that “There are three paths to wisdom: Reflection, which is highest; imitation, which is easiest; and experience, which is bitterest.” I’m not sure if a year of sabbatical experience cured or enhanced my bitterness. But it did give me ample opportunity for imitation and reflection, and this is my report on the wisdom acquired thereby.

I spent part of my sabbatical as a student of Professor Jane Hardy’s course on Modern Linguistics (MLL 122). My only expectation was to satisfy a curiosity I had in the topic since college. In practice, the experience did much more. If you’ve got the time and you’re open to new ideas, taking a colleague’s course can be a valuable thing indeed.
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