Professor Doolin’s Class is Now in Session
On his first day of teaching at Illinois Central College (ICC), Greg Doolin didn’t have data, notes, attendance records or even keys – another teacher let him into his classroom. Because the class’s previous instructor needed to take a leave in the middle of the course, Greg decided to step in and wing it!
“My interest in teaching led directly from my personal reflection on my career and those who have helped me along the way; we owe a lot to our mentors who have allowed us to grow and excel under their previous leadership,” Greg said. “There were several hurdles getting set up to teach, but I took the attitude that it would be worth the challenges to help the students who needed my help.”
Now an adjunct professor at ICC, Greg taught a course in blueprint reading last semester as part of the college’s construction management program. He fell into this role thanks to his work on the Greater Peoria Contractors and Suppliers Association’s Education Committee, which aims to connect the construction industry with various levels of educational opportunities, particularly high school, college, apprenticeships, and trade schools.
Over the summer, Greg and the committee worked with ICC staff and consultants to develop a full curriculum for construction management classes that would lead to a two-year associate’s degree program. The program is designed to provide interested students with the skills they need to enter the construction workforce without the time and cost of a full four-year bachelor’s degree.
Kickstarting Construction Careers
Greg’s class met every Monday from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. for eight weeks and focused on teaching students how to read construction documents, including drawings and specifications, as well as construction technology and building systems.
But even more importantly, he emphasized to his nine students he was there to help them learn something valuable for their future construction careers and that he wanted to personally invest in each of them.
“I was interested in learning the students’ personalities and then ‘meeting them where they were’ in their lives and in their education and watching their eyes light up when things start connecting,” Greg shares. “I especially enjoyed connecting with two minority students and one female in our class; I let them know how important they were to our industry.”
All students were also given information on what they could earn financially in the industry, both during their apprenticeship years and then after they become journeymen.
Building Future Generations
By the end of the semester, the students were confident in searching out information in the construction documents and better understood how buildings are put together.
“I feel we gained the most from our group discussions and instruction while gathered around the drawing table with a set of drawings just talking about the information that was contained within them. This method seemed to keep the students focused on what we needed to learn,” Greg said.
It was such a rewarding experience for Greg that he plans to continue preparing the next generation of construction professionals, contributing to the growth and success of the industry.
“I was impressed by their feedback and engagement during class, and their attendance to every class,” he said. “With this positive experience, I decided to teach again in the Spring 2023 semester to once again build into the next generation, and of course, let them build into me!”