Adjunct Professor Caleb Curtiss Explores Why Words Matter

At Goldey-Beacom College, preparing students for the workforce includes helping them communicate clearly, think critically and adapt as professions continue to change.

Those skills are at the center of Caleb Curtiss’ work as a writer, educator and former adjunct faculty member at GBC. In a recent episode of the Practice to Profession podcast, Curtiss spoke with host Dustin Ramsdell about his path to teaching, the importance of developing a meaningful relationship with language and the role writing courses can play in preparing students for life beyond the classroom.

Curtiss did not go directly to college after high school. He first worked in several industries, including insurance and financial services, before deciding to return to school and pursue teaching.

He began his college education at a community college, transferred to a university and later became a high school teacher in the Illinois school district where he had learned to read. The experience confirmed that teaching was work he genuinely cared about.

While teaching, Curtiss also began writing and becoming involved in literary communities. His career eventually brought him to Delaware, where he taught writing at the University of Delaware, earned a Master of Fine Arts degree, published a book and taught creative writing and poetry.

Over the course of his career, he has taught students ranging from middle school through the graduate level. Writing, English and the study of language have remained at the center of that work. Curtiss was already familiar with GBC’s campus when a colleague encouraged him to consider an available teaching position. As he learned more about the College and the students it serves, he became interested in joining the faculty.

During his time at GBC, Curtiss said he was especially impressed by students’ eagerness to learn and the College’s commitment to meeting students where they are. He saw that commitment reflected across the institution, from the faculty and academic departments to the support available through the Hirons Library. In his experience, student success was not simply something discussed at GBC. It influenced how faculty members were encouraged to teach and support their students.

Curtiss approaches writing instruction as a form of language instruction. Although fluency is often associated with learning a language other than English, he believes students can also develop greater fluency and intentionality in the language they use every day.

The words people read, hear and remember help shape how they think and how they express themselves. When students write an essay, develop an argument, compose an email or speak with a colleague, they draw from that ongoing relationship with language. Every word involves a choice.

Becoming more aware of those choices can help students communicate more precisely, understand their own ideas and consider how their words may be received by others. That principle has practical applications in nearly every profession. A carefully written email can reduce confusion, communicate expectations and strengthen a working relationship. The same skills can help someone present an idea, advocate for a position or collaborate with a team. The growing use of artificial intelligence makes language skills even more relevant. Because generative AI tools respond to written prompts, the quality of the result often depends on how clearly and specifically a person communicates what they need.

For Curtiss, artificial intelligence also raises broader questions about how people use language to understand the world. He believes those conversations belong in the classroom, especially as students prepare to enter workplaces where technology and professional expectations are changing rapidly. Curtiss appreciates that GBC emphasizes career preparation while continuing to recognize the value of the humanities.

Students need technical knowledge and practical abilities, but they also need to understand themselves, work effectively with others and adapt to circumstances that cannot always be predicted. The professions students enter today may look very different in several years. Because educators cannot know exactly how every industry will change, Curtiss believes students need an education that helps them develop confidence, critical thinking, communication and an understanding of how they fit within teams, organizations and communities. Writing courses contribute to that preparation.

Students learn how to communicate effectively, but they are also encouraged to consider what they think, why they think it and how their ideas connect to the world around them. They develop skills that can help them become stronger employees while also growing as colleagues, collaborators and citizens.

When asked what he hopes to convey to every student, Curtiss returned to a lesson from his own educational experience: commit to your personal growth. His journey did not follow the traditional college path often portrayed in movies or television. By returning to school and investing in his own development, he discovered opportunities he could not have anticipated when he began. He encourages students to remain open to that same possibility.

Their education may lead them in an unexpected direction. It may change how they see themselves, what they believe they can accomplish and how they imagine their future. That growth begins with a willingness to take their own learning seriously.

For a college focused on helping students move from practice to profession, the message is an important one. Career preparation is not limited to learning how to perform a specific job. It also means developing the communication skills, confidence and adaptability needed to continue growing long after graduation.