I want my students to ask questions and to consider aspects of the world they may have taken for granted. O'Lear is also interested in showing students different countries in person. This past summer she teamed with a history professor to take a group of students to Vladimir, Russia's sister city to Bloomington-Normal. Besides that collaboration, O'Lear is also working with a political science faculty member to create a course on international conflicts because she believes that education by its very nature should be interdisciplinary. O'Lear will be able to put that view to good use as the director of the interdisciplinary Environmental Studies minor.
Educators look at the whole house.
O'Lear's personal house is located in Carlock, where she can be found outdoors, weather permitting, playing ice hockey with her 10-year old neighbors. O'Lear likes the small town atmosphere, but wishes she could find an organic food store. I don't have the time to grow organic food myself, but I think it's much better than the alternative.