Sharon Steeber

Professor

“I emphasize that reading is like an athletic skill that needs practice. Read to learn, read for pleasure: the more practice you get, the higher the level.”

She’s been at SMC since 1984 but has spent the past four years on a leave of absence in Mexico. “I’ve been way down in Mexico,” says Sharon Steeber. “A place called San Miguel de Allende. I wrote a novel down there that I’m polishing up. And I wrote the fourth edition of a textbook series I authored, with another teacher, called “Reading Faster and Understanding More.” And, oh yes, she also built a house in San Miguel. But on her return to SMC, Sharon is once again in the business of building vocabulary, speed, and understanding in reading.

“I’m teaching English 21, a writing class, and three reading improvement classes. Over the years I’ve taught most things in the English Department, but I’ve come to specialize more in reading.” In this context, Sharon steps into the lives of a lot of people struggling with the inscrutable nuances of the English language. “A lot of Group C placement students have had disappointment and frustration with English in the past that’s often just a matter of insufficient time spent reading,” she says. “So I encourage their reading just for pleasure. At roll call, my students have to tell what they’ve been reading: the sports page of the LA Times, a book on welding. It’s my hope that as they read more, they’ll branch out, pick up more vocabulary and see the big patterns of a writer. I think those are some very important things for students.”

Sharon reports that her novel has a romantic theme. “But it’s not a romance,” she explains. “It’s about an American woman and a Mexican man and the cultural obstacles they run into as a couple.” She’s grateful that SMC has given her time for her own creativity and says that kind of support is there for everyone. “There’s such a high level of services, activities and support for people having problems,” she says. “It’s a very rich atmosphere for teachers, and for students.”

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