UNLV educator reflects on 46 years of teaching specialized subject

January 30, 2012 by Dianelys Fuentes 

Dr. Patricia Geuder is a white woman who teaches African-American literature at UNLV.

Though today we may not think twice about this, things were a lot different when she began in the late 1960s when she started teaching this class — and when her passion began.

Having shared her knowledge with UNLV students for 46 years, Geuder is a professor worth knowing about.

The Rebel Yell: Where were you born and how was your childhood like?

Patricia Gueder: I was born in Michigan. I was an orphan when I was about four years old and I went to live with much older people and my two older brothers went to live with them too.

It was during the Depression and in Michigan the unemployment raised and because of the economic situation the two folks we were living with decided to move to Iowa.

I started school there and I learned to read and to write at the age of four.

My teacher, she taught me to read by showing me packets of seed flowers. I remember thinking for six years I was her pet.

RY: Why did you decide to be a teacher?

PG: I loved school. By the time I started thinking what I wanted to do, I decided I wanted to be a teacher because I loved school.

RY: Where did you go to college and how was the experience?

PG: I started school by the age of 17 and by 19 I had my two-year degree.

At that time, you could teach with that. I managed to get a teaching job and taught third grade in a school in Iowa.

I went to school in the summer and by the time I was 22 or 23 I had my Bachelor of Arts at the University of Northern Iowa and two years of experience. Then I started teaching at a junior high school.

RY: Why did you move to Las Vegas?

PG: I discovered it was very difficult to find teaching positions for two people whose teaching was very different.

My husband is a music teacher and I found I was more adaptable than him. It seemed to me that because of his specialization his employment took place over mine.

A person with his jazz background would not only teach, but play in Las Vegas.

RY: What aroused your interest in African-American Literature?

PG: After I finished the B.A, and the M.A, I noticed in my early years at UNLV that my African American students didn’t write Standard English.
I decided to do my doctoral on tactics on the written syntactic features of African American university writers.

I was able, with the good graces from other professors, to work with a 20-member group of entering African American students to conduct my research.

Their writing proved that syntactic differences existed between Standard English writers and African-American writers.

RY: Have you faced any prejudice from your students and/or peers and if yes, has that affected your teaching in any way?

PG: Yes, no. In the beginning, I remember almost all my students in African-American Literature were African-American and almost all of them questioned my ability to teach African-American literature because I was Caucasian.

People from outside the university told me I was wasting my time because African- American literature didn’t have any value.
I object to that because it didn’t have any accuracy.

RY: What are the major differences at UNLV since when you started teaching and now?

PG:One point there would be comradeship, when the faculty and the student body was much smaller and the people got to know each other very well and faculty got to bond well together in good ways.

RY: What is most rewarding about your job; what makes it worthwhile?

PG: The long terms effects of what my students learn and often plug into their writing some years later. The effect and the impact the courses they took have in their lives.

RY: Did you have a model or idol growing up?

PG: In retrospect I think that I have had a small group of older women who have served as role models. One was a librarian, the lady who raised me, a professor from here, and a music teacher. They gave me all kinds of encouragement.

RY: What advice can you give to people who aspire to be as successful as you are?

PG: Aim high, be willing and pursue your goals.