Papers lie strewn about the floor of the small office, a cardboard box stuffed in the corner contains stacks more. On the left, a cluttered desk holds hundreds of student grades and sticky notes while an unassuming monitor displays a filled calendar. On the right, a cork board hangs a collection of children’s art and family photos. Finally, the back wall is lined with untidied shelves, piled with literature, movies and even instant noodles. In the center of all this is a simple wooden seat labeled “Distinguished Faculty Chair” with the name Nils Slattum.

For 18 years, 16 of which have been full-time, professor Nils Slattum has been teaching English courses at Moorpark College.

After fulfilling his undergraduate program at California Lutheran University, he went on to earn a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University before returning to California with his wife and newly-born son to teach English courses part-time at Moorpark, in a process he describes as “meandering.”

“I was in the river and the river took me… Out of the blue when we returned here to southern California my professor from Cal Lutheran… called me up and said ‘Hey I got two classes I want you to teach for me,’” says Slattum, a sheepish smile coming out from hiding across his face. “And so I was like ‘Oh, okay,’ I’d never done it before.”

During his first semester teaching at Cal Lutheran, Slattum was informed by the very same professor that hired him that Moorpark College was hiring and told him to try applying.

“And I did and got hired, barely, and started teaching here part time and the rest is history,” says Slattum, casually laughing at the memories. “So it was because someone took an interest in me and my career and encouraged me that I ended up here. Less proactive more reactive… And I’m sure glad I found my way here cause what a great place to be.”

During his nearly two-decade career at Moorpark, Slattum has taught countless students in a variety of English classes. Perhaps most notable of the courses he’s been involved with were part of a project of “learning communities,” an initiative to integrate two classes and their subject matter into one single class, the most famous of which was a “Lord of the Rings” class, which combined an intro to literature and an intro to philosophy, focused on applying each class’s ideas to J.R.R. Tolkien’s extensively built universe.

In Slattum’s English courses, students are quickly introduced to a classroom environment consisting mostly of discussions surrounding the many books, short stories or poems covered, Slattum displays a lighthearted and open mind when it comes to debating the meaning behind even advanced and chronicle literature while still managing to foster learning and moderate the class effectively.

“Some of my best memories, those classes that moved me, that have stayed with me, I had teachers that taught and used discussions in creative ways and they were very good at facilitating student centered discussions,” said Slattum about his own style. “It’s sort of been this transaction with my students over the years, seeing what they do best and what I can do to help them and help us both get to these better moments of learning.”

In the course of each semester, Slattum says that learning to improve thinking and imparting ways to learn better are at the forefront of his goals.

“First and foremost I want learning to happen,” Slattum said definitively. “I’d also like them to learn how to become better learners. I think that’s important and I think part of that is my job to sort of inspire that and to facilitate that.”

For as long as he has served the students at Moorpark, Slattum still has the passionate drive of improvement and dedication, pushing to take part in out-of-the-classroom committees and continuing to remain an active teacher as his career continues.

“I’ve always had a goal of becoming a better and better teacher,” Slattum said. “I think once you sort of stop wanting that I think you become the kind of professor that we’ve all had at some point that they don’t seem to sorta care. I had professors in college where you could sense that maybe they’re at that point in their career where they’re sorta coasting… And I fear that.”

Slattum believes that when you’re in a special place it has ripples through your life, citing Moorpark College as that special place. Outside of continuing to teach students directly, he aims to participate in preserving and improving the campus that he’s spent almost his entire career on.

“This is a special place and that we wanna keep that going,” Slattum said. “As a faculty or staff here at Moorpark College we talk about what a special place this is and I really believe that’s true. If you have that kind of sense about a place that’s a rare thing… So I’ve tried to become an active part of that.

Slattum can be found in the afternoon, working diligently away in his office in the Humanities/Social Science building, room number 227, decorated with papers from each successive generation of Moorpark College students experiencing their adventures in literature.