Katrina Imison-Mázy

Tenure Statement

Introduction The purpose of this narrative statement is to describe how my work at Gustavus Adolphus College addresses the four

criteria set forth in the Faculty Manual: excellence as a teacher, an emerging pattern of professional and scholarly

activities, and an emerging pattern of involvement with the college and evidence of sympathy with the goals of the

College mission.

TEACHING (1) Excellence as a teacher as reflected in quality of and enthusiasm for work, effectiveness of methods, interest in subject

matter, concern for student learning, effective advising of students within and outside the major and continued academic

preparation and improvement.

“We must make the choices that

Enable us to fulfill the deepest capacities of our real selves.” Thomas Merton

My Teaching Background

Passion, commitment, and enthusiasm are the foundation of my teaching life. My concept of teaching is grounded in both

my philosophical beliefs about teaching and practical tenets that underpin everything I do as a teacher. In terms of my beliefs about students, I believe that all students are capable of achieving excellence, given a supportive and nurturing

environment; all students seek acceptance, encouragement and are more likely to invest time and energy into their work if

they feel that their accomplishments are recognized along with their struggles; students are individuals who have very

different strengths and needs and it is my job as their teacher to uncover and discover those strengths and needs so that I can adapt my teaching and my instruction to best support their learning. A central focus of my teaching is encouraging the

development in my students of autonomy, independence, responsibility, enthusiasm, passion and energy, sensitivity and

empathy, concern for others, recognition and acknowledgement of freedom and the responsibility that freedom entails, and an active participation not only in school but other personal pursuits. These attributes are consistent not only with the

college mission and core values but also the mission of the Education Department.

My development as a teacher has been very much a journey of many year’s duration and spanning three continents. After

4 ½ years of teaching and two years teaching a full-time self-contained gifted and talented class in grades 2-3, I pursued graduate studies in gifted education at Purdue University, IN, because I was committed to being an advocate for gifted and

talented students. While completing my Master of Science in Educational Psychology I taught three sections of a

classroom management course for elementary education majors that affirmed my commitment to teaching at the college

level. I subsequently completed a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, specializing in language and literacy and taught an undergraduate course in children’s literature as well as supervising students during their literacy block.

It is rewarding and exciting to see students I taught in 1st grade graduate university and begin professional lives as doctors, lawyers, and journalists; it is profoundly moving that they have stayed in touch and still speak fondly of their time in my

class. It is equally inspiring to hear from more recent graduates, now pursuing their own teaching careers, who have

shared with me comments such as those below that were not solicited via SETs or other formal evaluations:

“I loved, loved, loved having the opportunity to have you as my professor. It was clear that you went out of your

way to do anything for your students. I appreciated all that you did for me and my fellow classmates. You make a

huge impact on your students and their teaching. Keep up the good work. Thanks for everything that you do, Katrina!” (Past student)

“You were the best professor I had at Gustavus by far!! And the nicest and most fun too!” (Past student)

“You were awesome! I absolutely loved coming to your classes and you were so friendly and understanding. Can

you share Facebook posts? Does that count? My experience in the education department truly would not have

been the same without you!!” (Past student who posted her comment on Facebook)

“Katrina you are a wonderful role model for women and I appreciate you so much.” (Past student)

“Katrina, you helped me realize so many of my own strengths and passions through sharing your passions! You

are a wonderful teacher and should always believe that!” (Past student)

“What you do matters! It matters to me and all the students in our class! You and I had a connection from the

start and you helped me with things that didn't even have to do with your class! You are dedicated and good at

what you do! We love you!” (Past Student)

“You're always there for everyone and you put your heart into what you do!” (Past student)

Defining “Teaching Excellence” Some years ago I read Ken Bain’s What the Best College Teachers Do in an effort to understand my own teaching

strengths and areas for continued growth. Bain’s research on college teaching emphasizes the importance of teacher

knowledge and the intellectual work of teaching that first compelled me to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher. More recently I read Qualities of Effective Teachers by James H. Stronge, in which the author major qualities of

effective teaching, including: personal & professional attributes, classroom management & organization, planning,

organizing and implementing instruction, monitoring student progress. Based on the research conducted by Bain and

Strong, I have identified the following areas that I believe characterize teaching excellence:

Teacher attributes: Effective teachers “reflect a strong trust in students” (Bain, p. 18); they care deeply, they listen,

understand and know their students and are fair and respectful. They demonstrate positive interpersonal communication and “serve conscientiously” (Strong, p. 100). According to Bain “the best teachers expect “more”” (p.17), they promote

enthusiasm and motivation for learning. An essential quality that I model for my students is that of being a life-long

learner. Each semester I share with students, new areas of study that I explore out of my passion for learning; I bring books and resources to class and strive to pique their interest in the new, interesting and unusual because I know that in

terms of neuroscience and education, the human brain is stimulated by novelty. In recent semesters I have woven

discussions of the following into class sessions by connecting them to state academic standards: new literacies,

neuroscience, the reading brain, astrophysics, astronomy and black holes, and kitchen science. In the coming semester, fall 2015, I am embedding elements of STEM/STEAM and coding for children into my classes because of their relevance

in current educational practice.

I demonstrate my enthusiasm and commitment to teaching and to my students in all my classes and this is supported in my

SETs from fall 2013-spring 2015. In my SETs from the spring 2015 semester, students commented:

“Genuinely cares about her students and wants them to succeed, is very easy to talk to about anything in the course, sparks interest in the class with her enthusiasm and humor, her assessments are reasonable and very

relevant.”

“Very passionate. Creates a welcoming learning environment. Makes students feel cared for. Very approachable

and easy to talk to.”

“She is always happy and supportive you can tell she loves teaching. She is flexible and willing to change the

plan based on student needs.”

“This class was a lot of information but she made it interesting and easier to comprehend. She is a very affective teacher. She is fun and energetic and it rubs off on her students! She is an amazing teacher! I have learned a lot

from her and feel comfortable discussing with her!”

Similarly, during the fall 2014 semester, students commented:

“Katrina is very approachable and really cares about helping us become better teachers. She is also willing to be flexible on deadlines and assignments when we’re all stressed and is one of the only Profs willing to do so.”

“Katrina is great at communicating with students, taking their needs as humans into consideration; she has

demonstrated time after time that she is willing to put her professional reputation on the line for the well-being of her students. She makes an effort to understand what we’re experiencing and makes adjustments as necessary.”

“She is always positive and understanding. When she assigns something she always takes into account how we

are doing and how stressed we are.”

“Makes the course very interesting and goes beyond what we “need” to learn to delve into the things they don’t

always teach you. Humorous. She is very passionate about teaching Kindergarten. Willing to give/find many

resources to help each student. Very relatable and understanding. Cares about each individual’s educational life and outside of the classroom.”

This is consistent with student comments from the previous year (fall 2013-spring 2014) in which students referred positively to my passion, my effective communication, and my responsiveness to students:

“She is very good at getting students interested in subject matter. Her lessons and classes incorporate numerous ways of teaching for diverse learners. She is involved on campus as much as she can. If things do not go as

planned, she is able to roll with changes smoothly.”

“This instructor clearly has a passion for the course material, this is evident in class. This instructor fields questions in a professional way that validates the asker and leads thoughtful discussion.”

“I learned how to interact with a professor on a more comfortable and honest level. This course taught me to see the beauty in children’s books.”

“Passionate, enthusiastic, creative, gives advice about teaching, relates lessons to things we may experience in kindergarten methods/practicum. Always, always goes out of her way to help.”

“She genuinely cares for the wellbeing of her students — both academically and outside of school. She is

supportive of all of us and loves being in class. We learn a lot form her past experiences.”

“Passionate and knowledgeable about children’s literature, emerging readers, and elementary teaching methods.

Cares about the student in a holistic manner and their success.”

“Knowledgeable on topic area, passionate about teaching, creative and able to quickly help solve problems/ think

of new ideas.”

Knowledge: Effective teachers possess content expertise and inter/disciplinary knowledge as a result of professional

experience, including training in the field and education. As Bain states “outstanding teachers know their subjects

extremely well” (p. 15). Content expertise is not only demonstrated through scholarship, but equally importantly through the ability to make complex ideas and fundamental concepts within the discipline comprehensible to students, to help

students make connections across disciplines, and to model metacognition by making their own thinking visible to

students. My approach to classroom instruction is founded upon my experiences in gifted and talented education both as a classroom teacher at the elementary school level and a graduate student in educational psychology. My teaching is

constructivist in nature though I also incorporate elements of behaviorism and social constructivism, blending a variety of

theoretical approaches with that of critical literacy. I encourage my students to develop a sense of ownership and

responsibility for their own learning by striving to emphasize in my teaching the real-life relevance of course materials and connections to students’ individual experiences. My background in gifted education has made me a strong advocate of

differentiating instruction as much as possible to meet the individual academic and social-emotional needs of my students.

In recent semesters I have found ways to provide more choice in assignments; one example of this is the final project that

students complete in my children’s literature course (Please refer to Sample Assignment Handout).

My strong background as a classroom teacher and college instructor, coupled with advanced coursework in language and

literature, curriculum and instruction, and educational psychology make it possible for me to offer my students practical

and theoretical suggestions for developing their own teaching skills, to model metacognition, and to teach content that is

both interdisciplinary and complex in ways that are meaningful to students. In recent semesters, students have read chapters from Proust and the Squid, Readicide, and Reading in the Brain. In past semesters I have incorporated material

from Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Death By Black Hole and modeled for students how his chapter on “Death by Black Hole”

could be used with 5th graders to explore the fairly typical science topic in schools, “Space”, from a different perspective while building vocabulary, practicing reading comprehension strategies and sparking student curiosity; practicum students

then used this as a model for a series of lessons they taught during practicum. More recently, I also modeled for my

methods students a lesson sequence I developed that incorporated science, history and literacy as students made and

experimented with silly putty, read articles about the accidental development of silly putty, and learned about polymers; one practicum group used this lesson sequence to plan and implement a successful three-day mini-unit during practicum.

During kindergarten practicum in fall 2014, a practicum group planned a lesson on the letter “V” using materials I

provided that involved an interactive read-aloud of the picture book My Mouth is a Volcano and a kitchen science

experiment in which each student made a “volcano” by creating a small chemical reaction. In all of these examples, the practicum students described how excited the children in their classes were with the hands-on activities and, having

observed in each of the classrooms during these lessons, I was able to see the enthusiasm not only of my practicum

students but also the children they were teaching.

Student comments from my SETs during the spring 2015 semester, include frequent references to my content expertise,

for example:

“Knowledge in subject and obvious enjoyment in children’s literature. Always on time and prepared for class.”

“Informational, open-minded, responsible.”

“She is very good at creating stimulating discussion and initiating thought provoking questions.”

“She shows true interest and love for her subject. Able to get classes attention with ease. Clear expectations.

Creates a great and fun environment. Always has plenty for us to do – well developed lesson plans.”

“Very knowledgeable about her subject. Brings humor and enthusiasm to spark interest in the content.”

“Katrina is awesome and I have learned a great amount of information through her class.”

Similarly, during the fall 2014 semester, students commented:

“The instructor is not only extremely knowledgeable in her field, it is apparent that she cares about her students.

She is an amazing encourager and is always willing to bounce around ideas and help her students become the

best teachers they can be.”

“She is very creative! She used a lot of different strategies and activities that make reading fun and exciting. She

is excellent at interactive read alouds!”

“Great resources, lots of strategies for teaching reading, interactive and hands on materials. Very approachable,

friendly and great sense of humor. “

“Katrina made linguistics interesting and fun! I think that’s pretty impressive. She increased my interest in the

subject, so I would do extra work outside of class to learn more.”

This is consistent with student comments from the previous year (fall 2013-Spring 2014) in which students referred

positively to:

“Has a lot of insight, experience, and advice. Willing to be flexible with lessons. Very caring about her students. Easily relatable, easy to approach.”

“She is able to bring a lot of expertise to the class through her stories and previous experience. She is flexible and adapts for students.”

“Always has materials available for students, accommodates to students’ needs, and is knowledgeable on subject areas.

“She is very passionate, has a lot of experience, and is willing to share a lot of advice. She cares about us and

wants us to succeed as teachers! She also includes occasional comic relief, which helps during stressful times!”

Planning, preparation, organization & implementing instruction: Effective teachers are focused on instruction and

strive to create “a natural critical learning environment” (Bain p. 18) in which they expect students to achieve, they

respond to a range of student needs and abilities and use a range of instructional strategies and question techniques as they

support student engagement in learning. When planning and preparing for instruction they “treat their lectures, discussion sections, problem-based sessions, and other elements of teaching as serious intellectual endeavors as intellectually

demanding and important as their research and scholarship” (Bain p. 17). I expect my students to succeed but I also expect

them to take responsibility for their learning by proactively seeking assistance, by completing assigned work, by actively

participating in class and by demonstrating to me in their words and actions that they value their own learning as much as I do. When I taught in the elementary grades I created (with my students) a classroom environment in which students

knew the expectations and boundaries without me having to enforce punitive measures; I gave students a certain amount

of freedom, creating even in kindergarten individualized learning contracts, and let my students know that I believed in them. As a result, our classroom was a busy, energetic and happy place filled with laughter and hard work. This

philosophy has carried through to my college teaching and in my SETs from the spring 2015 semester, students

commented:

“She kept us positive through this class and made sure our needs were met!”

“I feel that is a balance of instruction and self-directed learning. She created a self-autonomy with each of us.”

“It is an interesting content area and is needed to get through the education program. Katrina is laid back, but

holds you to high expectations as well.”

“She is very interested in the content, making the students become interested as well. She talks about her part

teaching experiences to enrich our knowledge and provide us with strategies to try or not try in our own teaching.”

“Keeping things on track and making class effective by asking lots of questions and doing lots of activities.”

Similarly, during the fall 2014 semester, students commented:

“She loves what she does and has a ton of knowledge in the subject area. She makes things relatable and keeps the class interesting and intriguing.”

“This class is very informative but yet fun and Katrina makes it very such a wonderful environment to be in.”

“I would recommend this course with Katrina as the instructor because the information is not just extremely

useful for educators, but for everyone Katrina has a great passion for the courses content and has raised my

interest.”

“This instructor truly makes learning fun! She is a great model of how to engage students and have fun while also

learning so much! She has many creative ideas that she uses in the classroom and is very easy to collaborate with when asking for feedback or ideas on lesson plans and other assignments you can tell that this instructor values

her students as individuals.”

This is consistent with student comments from the previous year (fall 2013-Spring 2014) in which students referred positively to:

“Katrina is focused on accomplishing the goals of the course and extending our learning. Beyond that, she cares deeply for her students and addresses/works with us through any problems or concerns both inside and outside of

the classroom.”

“She is really easy to talk to and be comfortable with. She makes me enjoy learning and I look forward to her class. I haven’t looked forward to class in years.”

“She gives 110% into every lesson.”

“She is very easy going and easy to understand. She makes the material fun and interesting and gives us freedom

in the class.”

“She really knows how to connect non-education majors with education concepts – and makes her class fun and

entertaining the whole time. She makes the content of the class so interesting it doesn’t feel like class at all – more of a hobby.”

“Much of my learning in this course has come from the synthesis of readings through class activities developed

by Katrina.”

“…the objectives of the course were made clear from the start and Katrina is great at connecting with each

student so they are able to develop as a teacher and achieve success.”

“Katrina is passionate about the subject she teaches. She uses helpful course texts that guide learning. Katrina

shares anecdotes from her time in the schools to help us build reactionary skills for the classroom. The activities done in her class will easily transfer to our own classrooms.”

Evaluation, assessment & reflection: Effective teachers systematically evaluate their own teaching and student learning

(Bain p. 18) and demonstrate a positive attitude towards the teaching profession and reflective practice. They develop

strategies to monitor student progress, providing meaningful feedback to support student growth. In developing course materials and strategies for assessing student performance, I provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their

learning in a variety of ways. Students in all my courses have opportunities to work independently, collaboratively with a

partner or small group; they complete assignments that incorporate multiple modes of expression and allow for some student choice.

My assessments are connected to the interdisciplinary nature of my instruction. Interdisciplinary instruction supports the

development of skills essential for the teaching profession because an integrative approach to learning and education fosters a sense of adventure, a commitment to active learning, the development of critical thinking skills, and a

collaborative approach to instruction supports social constructivism. In contrast to more traditional "stand-and-deliver"

forms of instruction, interdisciplinary instruction benefits both students and teachers. Life and experience are inherently interdisciplinary not fragmentary. Instead of treating knowledge as discrete units of disconnected information, I conceive

of knowledge as a complex and interconnected system; when designing lessons or instructional units I find ways to help

uncover these relationships through discussion and active engagement with complex concepts. A major advantage of interdisciplinary instruction is that when teachers and students learn together they effectively practice social

constructivism ; modeling this for preservice teachers provides them with an orientation to learning that they may be more

likely to one day implement in their own classes.

One of the major changes I have made to EDU 370 and EDU 375 is the final evaluation tool that I began piloting during

2014-2015. I have adopted the MN Department of Education Performance Standards for Teacher Practice Rubric as my

final evaluation of my methods students. My rationale for adopting this rubric is to provide teacher candidates with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with this assessment tool that may be used in the schools where they will teach after

graduation. During the spring 2015 semester, I asked students to complete the rubric as a self-assessment after completion

of the elementary practicum. I then met with each student individually during the last week of classes to discuss their self-assessment and my assessment of their performance in both the kindergarten and elementary practicum experiences

during the semester. Each meeting lasted between 30 minutes to 1 hour and students expressed to me that they found the

rubric and our meeting to be beneficial; a number of students also commented that they cooperating teachers during

practicum had shared with them a similar evaluation tool being used in their district.

Another change I implemented during the 2014-2015 academic year was using Google.docs for the sharing of lesson plan

drafts prior to kindergarten practicum and during elementary practicum. Using Google.docs helped me to better monitor the students as they revised and resubmitted lesson plans and also facilitated a more efficient exchange of feedback and

revisions than when students submit lesson plans via email.

In my SETs from the spring 2015 semester, students commented:

“Always gives good critical feedback in a way that supports us as students/ people.”

“Passionate and knowledgeable about topics. Gives a variety of assignments so that students are not expected to

excel in only one way.”

“…Katrina’s reading course prepares you for the classroom. Her assignments, class discussions, material are all

beneficial and pertain to what you need to know as a teacher.”

“This course was a relaxing and informational one. With this instructor, we were given the chance to reflect and talk about other aspects of a classroom. I would recommend it.”

Similarly, during the fall 2014 semester, students commented:

“She provides great examples; models well; has good support; connects to other experiences, assignments,

lessons, etc. She gives great feedback to students, shows strategies to teach.”

“Katrina gives very detailed and helpful feedback on all lessons taught. Conversations with her after teaching in

practicum were a great help when reflecting on my teaching. Offered great resources.”

“She knows the subject matter and has engaging activities to do along with each class. She provides very well,

not to harsh feedback, and she always makes herself available for questions/flexible in the class.”

“The assignments would connect to readings, discussions, experiences. I received plenty of feedback on lesson

plans that I could then improve upon.”

“Provide excellent feedback to improve teaching lessons and share great ideas that will broaden your way of

teaching.”

This is consistent with student comments from the previous year (fall 2013-Spring 2014) in which students referred

positively to:

“Katrina is very passionate about her job and willing to go out of her way to help her students. She is flexible and

understanding. She also gives good feedback on work.”

“Katrina was very helpful in giving us feedback on our lessons for kindergarten and showed interest in helping us

improve.”

“Katrina is very good at providing feedback to us as future teachers as well as giving us insight on what to expect

when we have our own classrooms.”

In developing both course curriculum and instructional activities, I strive to enliven students’ thinking and to encourage

them to analyze ideas critically and logically in a safe and supportive environment. I believe that as teachers we need to

model the behavior and demeanor of inquisitive engagement in learning for our students; students are more likely to be

motivated to succeed if an instructor is enthusiastic about subject matter and when he/she creates an atmosphere of support and success. As a teacher focused on student achievement, I integrate a variety of instructional approaches into

my classes in order to engage and motivate my students while providing opportunities for them to succeed. I encourage

my students to become active participants in their own learning, rather than simply passive recipients of information. I have high expectations for my students, but I also hold myself to an even higher standard. I always treat my students with

respect because I firmly believe that all students are capable of achieving their best. I am committed to establishing

mutually respectful, positive working relationships with all of my students.

Mentoring Teacher Candidates:

My teaching life is deeply connected to who I am as an individual. Teaching has always been for me about relationships.

In the article “Teaching with Heart and Soul”, Palmer (2003) addresses the spiritual dimension of teaching, describing

spirituality as “the eternal human yearning to be connected with something larger than our own egos” (p. 377). This connectedness is fundamental to education and is a philosophical foundation of my classroom teaching. My classroom and

my teaching practices revolve around encouraging my students to reflect on their own growing sense of identity. The

seeds of a deep and profound soul-searching can safely germinate in a teaching environment where the interconnectedness of mind, body, and soul is embraced. The time I spend in my classes teaching has become my lodestone. It is when

working with students that I feel most at ease and most true to myself; it is in the classroom that I daily experience a space

of laughter, lightness and positive interactions. I believe that the students also see our classroom as a safe place. Students have shared the following comments:

“Understanding, relatable, friendly, passionate.” (Student, spring 2015)

“I would recommend this course by Katrina because she’s so much fun and you really do learn a lot. It’s a

comfortable environment and she really knows how to pull in students with diverse lessons and activities.”

(Student, spring 2015)

“Incredibly caring and genuine. Builds relationships with students and adds a fun balance to an otherwise

serious and stress inducing department.” (Student, fall 2014)

“Katrina is always open to meet or help students of they are behind or do not understand. She is flexible in her

teaching and does what is best for her students.” (Student, spring 2014)

By the time education majors reach my methods courses they have begun to construct a sense of their own teacher

identity; however, because their teacher identity is still fragile they need constant encouragement, scaffolding of learning,

modeling of effective teaching practice and constructive feedback to help them continue to grow as teachers. The methods semester prior to student teaching is a demanding one because of the course load students manage combined with

intensive field experiences to prepare them for student teaching; it is also a time when students have to straddle the line

between being a student and being a teacher. There is a tension between these two roles that may manifest itself in my students as anxiety and stress, as an inflexibility in how they believe things “should” be done or feelings of uncertainty

about the career path they have chosen. I believe these are all a natural part of the process of teacher development and

providing students with opportunities to use the conceptual framework to reflect on their experiences and reconceptualize their beliefs about teaching, students and learning can help students navigate this period of transition in their emerging

professional lives.

I work hard to build strong relationships with my students both within and outside the classroom setting. I support them as learners in my classroom and in the field and make myself available to them whenever they need advice, resources and

materials. I provide students my cell phone number in addition to email and office number so that they can reach me by

phone, text or email any time; on the first day of class and regularly throughout the semester I encourage them to call or text if they have questions or concerns, particularly if their need is urgent. I also explain that due to committee work,

appointments, my teaching schedule and supervision in the field, I am not always able to respond to emails as quickly as if

they text or call; the majority of students seem willing to call or text and I have found this to be a more timely and

efficient way to communicate outside class time. I encourage my students to problem-solve for themselves with my support and I am intentional in talking to them about this because they will also need to teach their own students to be

problem-solvers, risk-takers and critical thinkers.

Supervising student teachers:

Due to my full teaching load, I have not had the opportunity to supervise teacher candidates as regularly as I would

have wished during student teaching;

I have supervised two students in Mankato in 2011 during their placement at Bridges;

I supervised three teacher candidates during their student teaching placement at the Staten Island Academy, NY in the

fall 2013; this was our first experience placing students at the academy and I invested considerable time and effort during my week supervising on site in building positive relationships with the school principal and cooperating

teachers. One of the students was offered and accepted a teaching position at the school, where she currently teaches

and serves as the “on-site” support for our student teachers;

Our department has a student teaching supervision plan with the faculty assignments for our international and

domestic placements and I am excited to have the opportunity to serve both the department and our teacher candidates

in this capacity in coming semesters.

Student teaching portfolio reader each semester:

Depending upon the number of teacher candidates student teaching each semester, I am responsible for working with

2-4 elementary education majors as the reader of their student teaching portfolio and the Teacher Performance

Assessment (edTPA) required by the state;

As the portfolio and edTPA reader, I meet with my assigned students during their early seminar days prior to the start

of their first student teaching session. We discuss the first steps in getting started with their edTPA and negotiating

with their cooperating teachers the timeframe and content of their learning segment. I meet with students after school

either on campus or at their school-site when they begin planning their lessons to provide support and feedback and

am available to them via email and cell phone when they have questions. I also schedule time during their second seminar session (between placements) to meet with them and discuss their progress on the edTPA. As students

complete the required written commentaries for each section of the edTPA, I provide “ethical coaching” and extensive

feedback.

During the first semester when students were required to submit the completed edTPAs to Pearson for independent

evaluation, one of my students received the highest score within our department and the other received one of the

three highest scores. Although I cannot take credit for the scores they received, having read and provided feedback on

early drafts and seeing how their edTPA developed from those early drafts to the final assessment, I would like to

think that my feedback and support helped the students complete their work at a high standard.

I have been fortunate over the years to have had many wonderful mentors and I see it not only as my responsibility, but

also, as an important opportunity to give back and support the next generation of teachers, to be a mentor to my students.

Although I do not always advertise the less visible ways I support my past and present students, I continue to mentor and

support them even after they have left my college classroom. I would like to share a couple of the most memorable

comments as the students involved have expressed their appreciation in person or in cards, letters and therefore not

necessarily reflected in my SETs (Note: Please refer to supporting documents for more extensive informal and unsolicited

feedback from students):

“You are an amazing teacher, your classes shaped me into the teacher I have become. I enjoyed every second of

being in your classes at my time at Gustavus and learned so much from you. I cannot imagine my education without you in it. Thank you for being my teacher and friend.” (Past student)

“You were one of the most positive models for me during my time there. I consider myself to be the teacher I am today because of professors like you.” (Past student)

In addition to mentoring student candidates through assignment in the department and serving as faculty advisor for

student organizations, I also seek out other opportunities to support our students in more informal (and less visible) ways.

In the spring 2014, I offered to work with one of our graduating seniors to help her with strategies for passing the

MTLE reading test. She had failed it twice previously and was becoming increasingly anxious about having the take

the test a third time. We met and created a plan involving meeting off campus in Minneapolis (close to her home) to

work through a series of specific reading, comprehension and test-taking strategies I compiled to help prepare for the test. We met twice and between our meetings, she worked proactively through sample exercises, putting into practice

the active reading strategies we had worked on. On the day of her test I sent her some “words of encouragement” and

was excited for her when she passed the test.

After discussion in the spring 2015 semester with graduating seniors and students who will be student teaching in the

fall 2015, I offered to set up a regular meeting time during the fall 2015 semester to meet informally off campus with

teacher candidates to discuss classroom management and their experiences during student teaching. Our teacher

candidates frequently comment that classroom management is one of the biggest challenges, and although I’ve offered to teach a separate classroom management course the philosophy in the department is to embed classroom

management within our courses. Classroom management is an important part of the kindergarten course I teach and I

enjoy working with students as they try out strategies we have discussed in class or through readings; our debriefings after students teach their lessons are an important part of reflecting on what worked/did not work and a powerful way

to help students reconceptualize their beliefs about practical aspects of classroom management. Our students can

sometimes be highly self-critical and I try to model for them how to think about their own teaching not in terms of the binaries “failure & success” but rather as opportunities for self-evaluation and growth. It is my goal that together with

their peers, we can talk about recent student teaching experiences and help each other problem-solve the challenges

that they may encounter; I hope that meeting informally during the semester will provide additional support that they

receive from their college teaching supervisor and cooperating teacher.

Over the summer 2015 I created a Facebook page for past and present students in which to share links to useful

educational websites and resources. It is currently as closed group with 113 members; however, having seen how well

this group is already interacting and sharing resources, I am considering making the group public.

Teaching at Gustavus:

Since taking up my appointment at Gustavus in 2008 I have been the instructor for courses taught within the Elementary Methods Block in the semester prior to student teaching and a survey course on children’s literature. I have a full teaching

load each fall and spring semester in addition to being a Portfolio Reader for 2-4 teacher candidates during their student

teaching semester. The elementary methods instructors work collaboratively in EDU 385: Teaching and Learning Curriculum. During 2011-2012 I was the elementary methods team leader while Dr. Koomen was on sabbatical and Dr.

Walker was on maternity leave; I was responsible for coordinating all aspects of EDU 385 in addition to my teaching load

that included Dr. Walker’s Social Studies and Language Arts courses. Since 2008 I have been the instructor for the

following courses within the Education Department:

EDU 391 - Independent Study: “Children’s Literature: Authorship & Publication” (Spring 2015)

NDL-268 Career Exploration: K-12 Schooling Observation & Directed Reading (J-Term 2014)

EDU 210 Introduction to Children’s Literature (2008-Present)

EDU 370 Kindergarten Methods & Materials (2008-Present)

EDU 375 Elementary Reading Methods & Materials (2008-Present)

EDU 385 Teaching, Learning Curriculum (2008-Present)

EDU 372/ 374 Elementary Social Studies & Language Arts Methods and Materials (Fall 2011)

In his first year review letter of February 16, 2009, John Clementson wrote the following (please refer to the letter

included in supporting materials for a complete statement):

“Classroom observations have revealed Katrina’s interests in knowing her students and a passion for her content area. She uses delightful stories, and has an ability to make connections between theory and practice, as well as a

skillful ability to integrate students’ classroom discussions with assigned readings and/or topics to be discovered

later in a given course. She also encourages healthy disagreement in discussions, while also validating students’ responses and affirming them with other examples. She is able to share practical examples from her own teaching

experiences in ways that help students to see the connection between theory and practice.”

Everything I build into my courses is an extension of personal practice, twenty years of teaching experience, a

commitment to student learning, a genuine respect for beginning teachers, and commitment to building mutually

supportive relationships with the teachers, principals and support staff in our partner schools. As I prepare my courses each semester, I am ever mindful of the Education Department’s vision and mission statement and the conceptual

framework; these documents are an important philosophical foundation of my courses and I refer to them regularly as I

revise and modify assignments, course schedule, class sessions and activities. My primary goal is best summed up by this vision and mission statement because I am “committed to the preparation of 21st century teachers who understand the

complexities of learning and teaching that encompass inclusion, equity and justice. This work is enhanced by a liberal arts

foundation that encourages breadth of knowledge, interdisciplinary and international perspectives, engaged inquiry and intellectual curiosity” (https://gustavus.edu/education ).

EDU 210: Introduction to Children’s Literature:

This course is a survey course, introducing students to a wide range of exemplary contemporary children’s literature and media in many genre, including fiction, biography, fantasy, folk tales, poetry, informational books, and picture books. As

stated in the course syllabus, the major objectives of EDU 210 are:

To understand the basic elements found in exemplary children’s literature.

To develop the ability to evaluate a wide variety of printed and non-printed materials designed for children

and young people.

To define how literature fits into the world of the child.

To demonstrate an understanding of literary analysis and its role in the interpretation and appreciation of

children’s literature through discussion and written response.

To develop the ability to synthesize and communicate personal observations and research about literary

materials for children.

Educational experiences student are engaged in as a part of this course include:

Reading and responding to contemporary multicultural children’s literature;

Viewing and critiquing media and iconographic film adaptations of picture books;

Collaborating with peers in partner and small group activities;

Reading and responding to critical theory and examples of literary analysis of children’s and young adult

literature;

Exploring issues and trends in children’s literature such as censorship, dystopian literature, fantasy fiction,

and postmodern picture books;

Synthesizing individual reading and research through small group presentations, student-led discussion

groups and weekly class activities.

Student performance is assessed through a variety of activities that offer students some choice in the completion of the assignment. During the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters, I modified assignments adding an author-illustrator group

presentation as an assignment completed by all students, rather than as an option for the final project. The majority of

students created informative and creative presentations that generated interesting class discussion. The final project remains largely the same as previous semesters, giving students the choice of four different options, because providing

students with choice has led to many creative, innovative and memorable projects. Small groups of students also selected

one week during the last half of the semester to lead a 20-30 minute whole class discussion on a variety of topics using any format to encourage participation. I intentionally made this activity open-ended with minimal guidelines to allow

students to pursue topics such as “censorship” or “dystopian literature” from different perspectives; because the class was

comprised of many non-education majors, I believed that this would give students from other disciplines the opportunity

to connect some of their own interests with the field of children’s literature.

Please refer to Appendix A for additional information and discussion of student feedback on EDU210.

Table 1.1

Mean score for each question on the SETs by semester for EDU 210: Introduction to Children’s Literature

Semester Q.1 Q.2 Q.3 Q.4 Q.5 Q.6 Q.7 Q.8 Q.9 Q.10

Spr 15 3.92 4.58 4.62 4.13 4.08 4.33 4.29 4.75 2.75 4.37

Fall 14 4.23 4.92 4.54 4.38 4.46 4.85 4.46 4.92 2.62 4.85

Spr 14 3.96 4.61 4.52 3.91 4.00 4.39 4.61 4.96 2.57 4.57

Fall 13 4.12 4.59 4.47 4.35 4.41 4.65 4.76 4.88 2.56 4.59

EDU 370: Kindergarten Methods & Materials: This course is a study of the historical, philosophical, sociological and psychological foundations of the kindergarten as

well as the materials and methods developmentally appropriate in a kindergarten program. As I state in my syllabus: This

course is designed to provide students with appropriate theoretical and pedagogical information and resources that will help them as they plan developmentally appropriate instruction for kindergarten students. As beginning teachers students

have the opportunity to develop effective instruction that encourages student engagement through a variety of

instructionally sound & developmentally appropriate activities. Students are expected to become familiar with both the methods and materials that support early childhood instruction, and to have the opportunity to demonstrate their

understanding of kindergarten methods by applying what they have learned in small group activities and during a one

week practicum experience. Major goals of the course are:

To explore historical and current perspectives on kindergarten.

To examine the general characteristics (physical, social, emotional, and cognitive) of kindergarten age children

and identify implications for the kindergarten classroom.

To examine language acquisition, literacy and numeracy development in young children and the foundations this

provides for future concepts.

To examine kindergarten instruction and environment from a child-centered, developmental perspective.

To demonstrate sound pedagogical skills for organizing, managing, reflecting and evaluating on learning

experiences, including the selection of materials appropriate for kindergarten age children.

To engage students in respectful professional dialogue and inquiry.

Educational experiences student are engaged in as a part of this course are designed to provide scaffolding between

methods courses and student teaching. A major component of this class is the week-long kindergarten practicum at South

Early Learning Center comprised of two early visits and a five-day practicum in a local kindergarten classroom. The two

early visits are intended to introduce the teacher candidates to the classroom routines and students, to begin developing effective professional relationships with cooperating teachers and school personnel and to collect information about the

curriculum to help students as they plan lessons to be taught during the five days of practicum. Students plan and

implement literacy, math and calendar lessons in addition to a three-day thematic mini-unit that integrates social studies, science, art and craft.

When I began teaching the course the kindergarten practicum took place at the end of the semester after students had completed their four-week elementary practicum (half-days only) and was only half-days; students were in the classroom

from 7:30am-12 noon and taught an author study or thematic unit. The model for the practicum had been established by

the previous kindergarten instructor and because it was a model with which the kindergarten teachers were familiar and

comfortable, I decided not to make significant changes to the structure of the course or the practicum experience. In reflecting on the course as I taught it for the first couple of years, I can honestly say that I struggled to establish close

working relationships with the cooperating teachers and did not believe that the structure of the practicum was working.

After discussions with the kindergarten cooperating teachers and my department chair, I was able to implement major changes to the methods block during 2011 (refer to EDU 385 description for additional information), including: earlier

kindergarten practicum experiences, full days of kindergarten and elementary practicum, complete revisions to the

elementary methods practicum handbook/s so that formal documents for elementary methods are aligned with departmental documents pertaining to Middle school methods and student teaching, revision of the elementary methods

lesson plan, planning and assessment documentation for methods.

Please refer to Appendix B for additional information and discussion of student feedback on EDU370.

Table 1.2

Mean score for each question on the SETs by semester for EDU 370: Kindergarten Methods & Materials

Semester Q.1 Q.2 Q.3 Q.4 Q.5 Q.6 Q.7 Q.8 Q.9 Q.10

Spr 15 4.50 4.75 4.58 4.13 4.08 4.33 4.29 4.75 2.75 4.37

Fall 14 4.31 4.88 4.63 4.44 4.63 4.69 4.75 5.00 3.13 4.81

Spr 14 4.13 4.00 3.62 3.87 3.50 4.13 3.88 4.75 3.13 3.88

Fall 13 4.89 5.00 4.67 4.89 4.56 4.67 4.78 5.00 3.00 5.00

EDU 375: Elementary Reading Methods & Materials:

This course is focused on the methods and materials used in reading instruction. As stated in my syllabus: This course is

designed to provide elementary education majors with appropriate theoretical and pedagogical information and resources that will help them plan developmentally appropriate instruction for elementary school students. As beginning teachers of

reading students have the opportunity to develop effective instruction that encourages student engagement through a

variety of instructionally sound literacy-based activities. Throughout the semester, students engage in many instructional activities and field experiences in order to become familiar with both the methods and materials that support student

engagement in reading. Students demonstrate their understanding of reading methods by applying what they have learned

in small group activities and during a 3 week practicum experience.

Educational experiences student are engaged in as a part of this course are designed to provide scaffolding between

methods courses and student teaching. A major component of this class is the three week-long elementary practicum

during which time students teach lessons required for all their methods courses (Reading, LA/SS, Math and Science). Consistent with the kindergarten practicum, the two early visits are intended to introduce the teacher candidates to the

classroom routines and students, to begin developing effective professional relationships with cooperating teachers and

school personnel and to collect information about the curriculum to help students as they plan lessons to be taught during the three weeks of practicum. Students work collaboratively with a partner to co-plan and co-teach lessons in consultation

with their cooperating teachers. Please refer to the Kindergarten & Elementary Methods Practicum Handbook for specific

information about the practicum experience.

Please refer to Appendix C for additional information and discussion of student feedback on EDU375.

Table 1.3

Mean score for each question on the SETs by semester for EDU 375: Elementary Reading Methods & Materials

Semester Q.1 Q.2 Q.3 Q.4 Q.5 Q.6 Q.7 Q.8 Q.9 Q.10

Spr 15 4.75 4.83 4.42 4.58 4.33 4.67 4.67 4.83 3.00 4.67

Fall 14 4.50 5.00 4.69 4.50 4.44 4.53 4.50 4.88 3.38 4.88

Spr 14 3.75 3.87 4.13 3.75 3.88 3.87 3.75 4.50 2.87 3.75

Fall 13 3.89 5.00 4.67 4.56 4.22 4.44 4.11 4.89 3.00 4.67

EDU 385: Elementary Interdisciplinary Methods & Materials OR Teaching & Learning Curriculum

This course is co-planned and co-taught with elementary methods instructors in Math, Science, Language Arts and Social

Studies. (Please refer to the course website for detailed information about EDU 385 including the methods schedule, TLC calendar and BOT standards http://homepages.gac.edu/~mkoomen/edu385/springsyllabus385.html ). As stated on the

course website EDU 385 is intended to help students build bridges from their education coursework at Gustavus to

application of that knowledge as teachers in public school elementary classrooms. Included are Monday and Friday sessions at Gustavus that focus on key topics, a substantial practicum experience in an elementary classroom, and time for

processing their experiences in schools.

Educational experiences student are engaged in as a part of EDU 385 are designed to provide scaffolding between all courses taught in the methods block and student teaching. Students complete a three week elementary practicum during

which time they teach lessons required for all their methods courses (Reading, LA/SS, Math and Science). Throughout the

semester students participate in debriefing sessions connected to their practicum experiences; these sessions provide students with the opportunity to reflect on and to process their practicum experiences with the support of peers and

instructors. Additional TLC class sessions are focused on various topics identified prior to the start of the semester by the

instructors and during the semester by students as necessary.

Prior to 2011, the elementary and kindergarten practicum required students to spend half-days in local schools teaching.

Elementary practicum took place during the last third of the semester and was immediately followed by a week-long

kindergarten practicum. While students were in elementary practicum during the first half of the day, on Mondays and Wednesdays they returned to campus for the Kindergarten Methods class in the afternoon. I experienced significant

challenges engaging the students in learning about kindergarten while they were in the field working in grades from 1-6

for a number of reasons:

Methods students viewed the kindergarten practicum as of secondary importance to the elementary practicum

because it followed this experience; this became an issue with students who early on in the semester expressed either a lack of interest in teaching early childhood or were anxious about teaching kindergarten

students;

In terms of practicalities, while students were in practicum in the morning by the afternoon they were more

focused on planning lessons for the following day than on kindergarten methods; they also came to class less

prepared, easily distracted and mentally fatigued;

Because the students’ focus was on their elementary practicum experience, preparing for the subsequent

kindergarten practicum seemed to be an afterthought for many students and this had a negative impact on the

kindergarten practicum and cooperating teacher perceptions of how I was preparing students.

During the fall 2010 and spring 2011 semesters I led the elementary methods team when Dr. Koomen was on sabbatical

and Dr. Walker was on maternity leave. In the spring 2011 I worked with Dr. Walker, Deb Sandquist and Dr. Amy

Vizenor to revise our practicum handbooks so that the information contained in each was aligned with the student

teaching handbook and consistent with NCATE requirements. During this same year I worked with Dr. Walker to revise

the elementary methods lesson plan format so that the lesson plans students develop in elementary methods courses

provide a transition to the lesson plan requirements for the student teaching assessment (TPA/Portfolio).

Please refer to Appendix D for additional information and discussion of student feedback on EDU385

Table 1.4

Mean score for each question on the SETs by semester for EDU 385: Teaching & Learning Curriculum

Semester Q.1 Q.2 Q.3 Q.4 Q.5 Q.6 Q.7 Q.8 Q.9 Q.10

Spr 15 4.08 4.75 4.17 4.50 4.25 4.50 4.67 4.75 3.00 4.58

Fall 14 4.94 4.75 4.67 4.44 4.69 4.69 4.81 4.81 3.50 4.88

Spr 14 3.22 4.11 4.00 4.00 3.89 3.78 4.11 4.33 2.78 4.00

Fall 13 4.67 4.78 4.78 4.78 4.56 4.78 4.56 5.00 3.11 5.00

Reflecting on & Re-conceptualizing My Teaching

In an article entitled “The Unnecessary Agony of Student Evaluations” published in The Chronicle of Higher Education,

Spurgeon Thompson suggests that students evaluations “can be either the most painful or falsely ego-boosting things we

faculty members read” (2013, http://chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/2013/03/01/the-unnecessary-agony-of-student-evaluations ). I certainly agree with his explanation that we tend to internalize the feedback, believing them to be objective

“truths”, something that can be very difficult when evaluations are negative. Despite many positive comments over many

years (not just here at Gustavus), the negative comments have a tendency to “stick”, playing over like a broken-record. I welcome feedback and collect informal feedback throughout the semester from my students and likewise use this to

ensure that class activities, class content and other instructional elements are working effectively. In contrast, reading the

feedback provided by students in the formal SETs is “the most painful experience”, to quote Sturgeon. Negative

comments may be due to factors that are less to do with lack of effective teaching and more to do with personal perceptions or attitudes towards the teacher.

While the vast majority of comments each semester have been positive, referring frequently to my passion for teaching,

my commitment and concern for students, my openness and ability to infuse humor into class sessions, a few students each semester shared negative comments that I would like to address. Overall while I consider some comments to be

puzzling, leaving me to wonder if the student/s had missed key class sessions, I am primarily disappointed that I

apparently did not meet the expectations of all my students. Regardless, I have listened to the feedback, even if I did not always agree with how students characterized the courses and worked on the following: communication, clarifying

expectations, revising course schedules and content to meet MN Board of Teaching Standards (specifically reading

standards and standards of effective practice), modifying assignments and in-class activities to maximize instructional

time, incorporating linguistics in EDU 375 to provide students with a stronger foundation for teaching phonological awareness, and creating specific documents to use for planning and evaluation during practicum.

William Perry’s theory of student development offers some insight into the epistemic development of our education majors, who move through various developmental stages in the progression from dualistic thinking to relativist thinking

and then commitment. Depending on their prior teaching experiences and the knowledge and beliefs based on those

experiences, some students have already reached the stage of commitment when they begin the elementary methods block; they are open to new ideas that might differ from their own, they demonstrate respect for differing viewpoints and

are committed to their own learning. In contrast, some students in our program hold on to prior beliefs about teaching and

learning; they can be resistant to ideas and experiences that push them to think differently and if they feel these ideas are

challenged can react negatively. I believe that some of the negative comments in my SETs are due to this.

I hope that student comments are weighed against the following:

Current research on the effectiveness of teacher evaluations and student assessment of faculty performance

here in the U.S., suggests that student comments provide information about the students’ experiences in a

course; however, it is unclear whether they are in fact “good measure of teacher effectiveness” (Stark, 2013, http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2013/10/14/do-student-evaluations-measure-teaching-effectiveness )

During the 2013-14 academic year I was heavily involved in area re-approvals for CAPSUB that required a

major time commitment;

In the spring 2014 I learned that my mother was terminally ill and I have no doubt that despite my efforts to

the contrary, I may have been distracted on occasion;

The framing of question 2 in the SETs that asks students to identify the instructor’s weaknesses is problematic

for me because of its focus on the instructor, rather than weaknesses in the course or suggestions for improving the course. When students are asked to identify weaknesses of the instructor they may feel

compelled to provide a respond. The wording of the question encourages and inflates the significance of a

negative comment.

My college teaching experience prior to Gustavus was at a Research I institution where my classes ranged in size from 20-

110 students and where more formal lectures were an accepted mode of delivery. Regardless of whether I am teaching a class of 8 students or 110, I engage students in small group, whole group discussion and activities, peer teaching activities,

role-play and skits, hands-on activities, modeling and opportunities to practice the strategies we are learning. In my own

teaching I model for my students the gradual release of responsibility model of instruction. My teaching strategies,

grouping arrangements, classroom organization, instructional approaches, and lesson planning are always focused on my students rather than on my own personal and potentially arbitrary teaching goals. In my experience the best instruction

occurs when a relationship of mutual respect and understanding exists between students and teacher. I approach teaching

with the belief that all students are capable of succeeding when exposed to appropriate instruction in a nurturing, supportive, and safe environment that allows them to explore, succeed, and “fail” without fear of negative repercussions

or punishment. I am confident that student see me as approachable and caring, sharing such comments as the following:

“Katrina is very passionate about the course. She is always positive with everyone’s comments and discussions.

She doesn’t see any comment about literature as being “right” or “wrong.” (Student, spring 2015)

“She is very understanding and flexible around both our schedules if we are busy or can’t make it to class she

helps and gives us materials that we missed.” (Student, spring 2015)

“Enthusiastic and funny. She gets us! She knows her stuff! She gets to know us very well, personable warm

personality.” (Student, fall 2014)

“Katrina is great at communicating with students, taking their needs as humans into consideration; she has

demonstrated time after time that she is willing to put her professional reputation on the line for the well-being of

her students. She makes an effort to understand what we’re experiencing and makes adjustments as necessary.”

(Student, fall 2014)

As I read carefully and critically through all my SETs over the past semesters, a couple of themes stood out for me that

warrant some clarification. I wish it were possible to respond to every negative comment in order to provide context and

clarification; I have tried to address the comments that are most problematic for me when reflecting on student feedback.

Please refer to Appendix E for information pertaining to the following comments:

Communicating & Clarifying Expectations

Being disorganized & Getting “Off Topic”

“Unprofessional”

SCHOLARSHIP (2) An emerging pattern of professional accomplishments as reflected, for example, by publications, presentations at

scholarly meetings or conferences and, in the arts, exhibits or performances; another example may be involvement in

professional and/or public organizations, boards, or commissions related to one's academic field(s) or college assignments.

When I began teaching at Gustavus I was ABD. My most immediate research interest at the time was completing my

dissertation Intersections, Intertextuality and Interpretation: The Graphic Novel as Postmodern Literary Pastiche and turning the manuscript into a full-length book. My dissertation establishes a possible graphic novel discourse that I use to

analyze the aesthetic, literary elements of visual-verbal narratives. I successfully defended my dissertation and I received

my Ph.D. in May 2010. My scholarship is directly related to my dissertation entitled “Intersections, Intertextuality and Interpretation: The Graphic Novel as Postmodern Literary Pastiche”. During my first few years here at Gustavus I

struggled to devote time to my own writing and research for a number of reasons:

Because I was ABD, my priority in terms of scholarship during 2008-2010 was the successful completion and

defense of my dissertation;

While completing my dissertation I was teaching a full course load, advising education majors (from 2009

onwards) and working with student teachers as the reader of their portfolio and impact project.

My son was born in August 2009 and because I was not able to take a maternity leave during the fall 2009

semester, I was completing all of the responsibilities required of a tenure-track faculty member in addition to

single-parenting a newborn.

During my first years at Gustavus I was so focused on my teaching and my work with students, to contributing as much as

possible to service opportunities within the department, and under pressure to complete my dissertation, that devoting additional time (that I did not have) to new scholarship seemed unwise. Defending my dissertation was liberating. After I

completed my dissertation, I began reworking sections of chapters and adding new material with the goal of presenting

my research at ChLA. I had the opportunity to present my paper "In the Land of Giants: Adult Constructions of Childhood

in The Tragical Comedy of Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch: A Romance and Violent Cases by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean" at ChLA in 2013. I have subsequently had the opportunity to present additional graphic novel research at three

conferences since 2013.

During my third year review I was advised to present at local and regional conferences rather than just focusing on larger,

more selective conferences. I have managed to find a balance between presenting at larger national conferences with

presenting at local conferences and am grateful for the advice I was given by my Third Year Review committee. Although it is necessary for me to continue to seek out opportunities to present nationally because my research focus is on graphic

novels and children’s literature, being able to present locally has helped me learn from other scholars and educators in

Minnesota.

During the 2014-15 year I was part of a writing group project that received a Kendall Center of Engaged Learning Mini-

Grant authored by my colleague, Valerie Walker. I have included here some of the information included in our Writing

Group Report that will be submitted to the Kendall Center on June 1 as this best sums up the work and activity completed with the support of this grant:

“During the 2014-2015 academic year, Lisa Dembouski, Katrina Imison-Mázy, Amy Vizenor and Valerie Struthers Walker received support from the Kendall Center for Engaged Learning to participate in a regular

writing group with the goal of creating a writing community that would support our scholarship and possibly

serve as a pilot for others on campus. … all of us recognize this past year as one of the most successful

scholarship years we have had at Gustavus. We were not only productive, but also developed stronger professional and personal relationships We look forward to continuing to work together and would be happy to

share our experiences with others on campus. We are very grateful for the support that the Kendall Center

provided us throughout the year.”

Our group accomplishments include the following:

* Met nineteen times over the course of the 2014-2015 academic year to share and discuss writing

* Held two, all-day writing retreats. * Created a flexible structure that worked for the group. In general, we had one person share writing and receive

written and oral feedback each week. During our meeting the person whose work we were considering would post

short opening and closing “quick write” prompts so that everyone in the group had a chance to check in and reflect on her progress on a weekly basis.

* Utilized a common Moodle page for sharing individual work, Quick Writes, meeting dates, etc.”

Our writing group plans to continue weekly meetings during the 2015-2016 academic year as the accountability and group

support proved highly motivating. I have also formed another writing group with a colleague who is working on her

dissertation and experiencing the same challenges I did when balancing teaching at a small liberal arts college, family

responsibilities and scholarship.

My primary research interest is in children’s literature and graphic novels and literacy practices in terms of reading and

interpreting visual-verbal texts. In addition to work in literary criticism, I have two further areas of research interest: teacher identity development and the experiences of boys in early childhood educational settings. Both of these areas have

emerged through my teaching and practicum experiences at Gustavus. I am currently working on the following articles

and research projects:

“Let the Wild Rumpus Begin”: Enhancing Early Learning with Children’s Literature by Celebrating

Exploration and Creativity in Classic and Postmodern Picture Books”. I am developing the conference

presentation into a journal article.

The Power of the Metaphor in Teacher Identity Development: Examining Pre-service Teacher Candidates’

Professional Identities”.

“Good Boys” and the Wild Child Within: The joy and heartache of teaching boys in early childhood.

Resisting the “Good Boy” Syndrome in Early Childhood.

Although it has taken me longer than I had anticipated to begin publishing due to competing demands on my time, I

believe that I have found my stride in terms of making scholarship a priority. In the past two years I have begun the work of submitting journal articles for publication. I have three articles currently in review after submission to peer reviewed

journals and am working on new research projects. I have been submitting conference paper proposals regularly and all

my proposals have been accepted. I have learned to better balance my teaching, service and scholarship responsibilities, I

have been presenting at conferences, am working on journal articles and am confident in my abilities to increase my publication output. As reflected in my annotated bibliography below, I have a number of articles in drafts and submitted

for review. Furthermore, I believe that the research I have already presented at conferences in the fields of children’s

literature and education demonstrate an emerging pattern of professional accomplishment.

Future Goals and Directions

I have three major areas of interest that are an extension of my work in children’s and adolescent literature and my

teaching experiences both working with children in K-6 and students at the college level. First, in terms of scholarship in

the field of graphic novels, my priority is having the four articles that are ready for submission accepted for publication.

These articles are based on the research foundation I established when writing my dissertation on graphic novels. Although I am still interested in continuing my scholarship that analyzes graphic novels as complex visual-verbal texts, I

plan to shift my literary analyses from the author-illustrators I have primarily focused on to date to graphic novels

published in 2012-2015. Because of my strong background in children’s literature, I am interested in researching and writing about postmodern picture books, especially those that create narrative tension for the reader (e.g. picture books by

Shaun Tan, Lane Smith, and Yuyi Morales).

Second, I plan to submit my research proposal for a new project tentatively titled, “Good Boys” and the Wild Child Within: The joy and heartache of teaching boys in early childhood” in order to begin collecting data in the spring 2016. In

the fall 2015 I will be collecting data for a qualitative study also tentatively titled, “The Power of the Metaphor in Teacher

Identity Development: Examining Pre-service Teacher Candidates’ Professional Identities”. I will be collecting data during EDU370 and EDU375 with the fall methods students as they complete their Pecha Kucha presentations

documenting their growth as teacher candidates.

Third, I have written a series of leveled texts for beginning readers that I would like to publish, preferably through

Scholastic, based on my knowledge and experience of teaching reading. Before submitting the set of books to a publisher,

I plan to “test” them on emergent and early readers and revise based on feedback I receive.

Finally, in addition to my research and scholarship goals, I am particularly interested in becoming involved in regional or

local organizations that support early childhood education, teacher preparation, gifted and talented education and/or

children’s literature. My involvement over the past four years in committee work at Gustavus has provided me with a strong foundation for serving in the broader educational community; I am excited to explore possibilities for becoming

actively involved in my fields of research.

Please refer to Appendix F for an Annotated Bibliography of my scholarship.

LEADERSHIP

(3) An emerging pattern of involvement in the activities of the College.

“The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one’s self to others.”

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

In this section I describe how I have addressed the service expectations for assistant professors, first covering service to

my college community both within the Education Department and in the wider Gustavus Adolphus College community

and second to the community at large. I have included a description of my past and current activities and, to the extent I can predict them, future plans and goals.

As an assistant professor, my primary service focus has been toward service within my department to demonstrate my

commitment to the work or our department, to increase my value as a department member and because department-level service is essential in a smaller department such as ours. At the department level I have been involved in the following

activities:

On April 10, 2015 I served as the Education Department Representative for Department of Art and Art History external review. (see attached documents)

On February 28, 2015 I served as an interviewer during the Gustavus Scholarship Day.

In August of 2014 and 2013 I served as the First Year Orientation Faculty Advisor for two “Greeter Groups”

On March 1, 2014 I served with Dr. Pitton as an Education Department Representative during the Gustavus

Scholarship Day.

During admissions session in September, 2013, I was an Admission Information Session presenter

“Silence Bullying” flash mob (Fall 2013)

In 2013 I was asked to be the faculty advisor for the ZETAs. I served in this capacity for two years; however, at the

end of spring 2015 I made the decision to step down as faculty advisor because there were no education majors in the ZETAs during the 2015-2016 academic year and the outgoing president and I felt it would be better for the

organization to have an advisor from a department…

In August of 2013 I led a Co-Teaching training workshop with Dr. Amy Vizenor for the St. Peter School Corporation.

Since 2008 I have served on two search committees for the department. The first search was unsuccessful; however,

after a subsequent search Valerie Walker was hired in (2010).

I have been advising 10-20 elementary education majors as part of my work in the department since 2009.

I have been a faculty representative for department admissions interviews multiple times since 2008 and the faculty

representative for International Student Teaching interviews three times since 2009.

During the NCATE (North Central Accreditation of Teacher Education) review in 2013. I helped write and review

materials in collaboration with education department.

TPA training and part of the piloting of the TPA in Minnesota

Co-Teaching training at MSU (January 2013)

I worked collaborated with Jill Potts and Jane Schuck in 2010 to develop a new course proposal for EDU 320:

Literacy K-12 and a draft syllabus.

In the spring semester 2011 I collaborated with Dr. Valerie Walker, Deb Sandquist and Dr. Debra Pitton to implement

positive changes to the elementary methods block practicum experiences (both elementary and kindergarten).

Since 2009 I worked hard to strengthen the relationships with our partner schools through regular face-to-face and

email communication, by being as visible as possible at the schools and always being available to answer questions.

In the spring 2011 I worked with Dr. Walker, Deb Sandquist and Dr. Amy Vizenor to revise our practicum handbooks

so that the information contained in each was aligned with the student teaching handbook and consistent with NCATE requirements.

In the spring 2011 I worked with Dr. Walker to revise the elementary methods lesson plan format so that the lesson

plans students develop in elementary methods courses provide a transition to the lesson plan requirements for the

student teaching assessment (TPA/Portfolio).

During the spring and fall 2011 semesters I led the elementary methods team as Dr. Koomen was on sabbatical and

Dr. Walker was on maternity leave.

During the summer of 2011 I volunteered to work with Dr. Pitton and Jane Schuck to streamline the Board of

Teaching Standards (BOT) of Effective Practice embedded in education courses.

Since fall 2010 I have been the faculty advisor for KDP. I organized the recruitment of new members, held an

information/recruitment session of students invited to join the organization, planned, organized and set up the

initiation ceremony (I was grateful to faculty in the education department who accepted my invitation to participate in the ceremony as there were no officers to take on required “roles”), collected dues and sent off memberships,

organized honor cords for graduating seniors.

In addition to service within my department, I have invested major effort in professional service outside the Education

Department through my involvement in committee work, as documented in my curriculum vitae.

Committees:

I have been actively involved in committees and committee work since 2011, serving on the Curriculum Committee,

CAPSUB, Honor Board, Grade Appeals Board, in addition to representing the Curriculum Committee on IDPC and the

LARS committee. I served on three Honor Board hearings during my term (2013-2015). I found this work to be extremely rewarding and I hope to have the opportunity to serve on this committee again in the future. During my term on the

Academic Grade Appeals Committee (2011-2012) I was involved in two grade appeal cases. As with my work on the

Honor Board, my year spent as a member of the Grade Appeals Committee was a wonderful learning experience and

another opportunity to learn more about major college policies and procedures.

When I was elected to the Curriculum Committee for my first term (2011-2014) I was excited to be involved in a

committee responsible for curriculum planning; having the opportunity to be involved in reviewing departmental, interdepartmental and interdisciplinary programs and policies, approving new courses and working with more faculty

from across the campus has enriched my professional work at Gustavus. During the 2013 J-Term I volunteered to assist

members of the Curriculum Committee in a redesign of the committee webpage. I was reelected to the committee for a second term (2014-2017) and I have made regular active contributions to the work of the committee.

I was elected chair of the Course Approval Subcommittee (CAPSUB) for two terms (2013-2015). In May 2015 I finished

serving as chair of CAPSUB after a two year term. During the 2013-15 academic years CAPSUB completed area approvals for LARS, MATHL, THEOL, SOSCI, HIPHI, GLOBL, ACT/FIT and the new GLOBL area designation, as

well as continuing the regular work of the committee that involves the reading, discussion and approval of new course

proposals, FTS course proposals, and area designation proposals for LARS, MATHL, THEOL, SOSCI, HIPHI, GLOBL, ACT/FIT. In addition to the preparation for and leadership of monthly meetings, I also spent considerable hours each

month following up with faculty regarding revisions to proposals and other clarifications sought by CAPSUB. My time as

CAPSUB chair has been an incredible learning experience and though at times it has been challenging (asking more senior or tenured faculty to revise proposals etc…as an untenured chair has been stressful), I consider myself fortunate to

have been given this opportunity and responsibility. I was fortunate to work with outstanding colleagues on this

committee who made the job of chairing CAPSUB enjoyable and productive, so much so, that I am actually sad to be

stepping down as chair.

As chair of CAPSUB from 2013-2015 my work involved:

Completed Area Re-approvals for LARS, MATHL, HIPHI, SOSCI, GLOBL

Led monthly committee meetings and completed monthly reports submitted to the Curriculum Committee

During my two-year term as chair I have invested 15-20 hours per week in completing committee work

and preparing for monthly meetings; during 2013-2014 as CAPSUB was responsible for completing area re-approvals I typically invested approximately 20 hours each week completing committee work due to

the volume of course approvals we were required to read, review and approve. The most time-consuming

work involved the revision process for course proposals, necessitating numerous emails to faculty submitting proposals with requests for revisions.

This was also one of the most challenging tasks because of the need to request additional work of more

senior faculty. Having the support of Dean O’Loughlin, my former Curriculum Committee chair, Eric

Carlson and current chair, Tom LoFaro, and members of the CAPSUB committee throughout this process

was invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Community: My work in the education department involves collaborating with the staff, teachers and administrators of local schools

through our kindergarten and elementary methods practicum experiences. We would not be able to place students in local

schools if we did not have the support of schools in the local community and as a result I invest time and effort into

building and maintaining these relationships.

Our students are required to complete a variety of field experiences during the program and during the

elementary methods block they complete a three-week practicum in grades 1-6 and a one-week

kindergarten practicum in local schools;

Building and supporting relationships with our field placement sites

Developing positive working relationships with teachers, administrators and staff in field placement sites

One of the biggest challenges for me during my first couple of years at Gustavus was building

relationships with kindergarten teachers and administrators;

Since 2010 there have been three changes in administration at South and I have worked hard to build

strong relationships with both the former and current principals at South Early Learning Center and North Intermediate

I have been able to successfully place methods students at South for the kindergarten practicum each

semester for the past 3 years and cooperating teachers have been positive and supportive of our program.

I am confident that the relationships I have built with local teachers, the changes I have made to the

kindergarten course and practicum experience, and the dedication of the cooperating teachers who are so supportive of our students, has had a positive impact on our students.

o Future developments:

Infusing STEM/STEM into Kindergarten Methods

Co-Teaching training for St. Peter

During the spring 2015 semester I began working with a local business owner interested in started a

computer coding club for girls in the local area.

Looking towards the future and in terms of my service beyond Gustavus, I would like to work on the following goals:

Establish involvement in the professional community at the state and regional level;

During my graduate studies at Purdue University I was awarded the Lloyd Alexander Research Assistant

position working with senior faculty on a new electronic children’s literature journal First Opinions Second Reactions;

I have contacted the editors (former members of my dissertation committee) expressing my interest in

becoming a member of the editorial board in addition to submitting “second opinions”;

I have been in consultation with the Australian children’s author Christopher Cheng about opportunities

for engaging with the Australian Book Council;

MN gifted and Talented Advisory Council.

MISSION

(4) Continuing evidence of sympathy with the aims and purposes of Gustavus Adolphus College as stated in the Mission

Statement of the College.

I would be true, for there are those who trust me;

I would be pure, for there are those who care;

I would be strong, for there is much to suffer; I would be brave, for there is much to dare.

I would be friend of all—the foe, the friendless;

I would be giving, and forget the gift; I would be humble, for I know my weakness;

I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.

I would be faithful through each passing moment;

I would be constantly in touch with God;

I would be strong to follow where He leads me; I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod. Howard A. Walter, 1906.

The college mission and core values resonate for me on personal and professional levels. I am committed to the Core

values of excellence, community, justice, service and faith. Having experience at both large state research institutions and smaller college environments, I decided in graduate school that I wanted to teach at a smaller liberal arts college. My

undergraduate education in Australian and graduate education here in the U.S. took place at large research institutions

where graduate teaching assistants did the majority of the teaching of undergraduate courses and where faculty were less accessible to students. My graduate teaching degree at the University of Southern Queensland was influential in my desire

to teach at Gustavus because the elementary education program was rigorous, intensive and limited to only 20 students per

year. I knew I wanted to teach at a smaller liberal arts college because of the focus on teaching excellence and the close collaborative relationships developed between students and faculty. Although I interviewed at three other institutions (two

research I universities and one private college in WA), my experience at Gustavus during my campus visit in 2007 was so

positive and affirmed my belief that I needed to teach at Gustavus.

Because of my varied experiences here and abroad, I bring to my teaching at Gustavus an international perspective based

on personal experience and I am committed to an education that is international and interdisciplinary in perspective. I am

from Australia and was raised by parents, themselves educators, who encouraged an international world view that remains a central part of my identity. I lived in Europe as an undergraduate student and subsequently made numerous international

trips prior to moving here to the U.S. in 1996. As an elementary school teacher, I used my international experiences and

fascination for people and places around the world as the foundation of my class curriculum and ultimately had the opportunity to write my school’s Social Studies curriculum for grades 1-7 entitled “Studies of Societies and

Environments” that was focused on global, cultural and environmental competencies. The focus on global and community

engagement at Gustavus is extremely important to me, not only because of my own international and domestic

experiences but more importantly because I know firsthand the impact that community-based learning, study abroad experiences and globalization of curriculum have on students. My personal and professional identities have been shaped

by these experiences and I know that I was a more effective elementary school teacher because I had traveled extensively,

lived on my own abroad, experienced the challenges of feeling like an outsider when traveling in foreign countries and had developed a strong sense of self-efficacy and autonomy because, during the 12 months I lived in Europe, I had to

become a self-sufficient, confident problem-solver and risk-taker.

My teaching is influenced by theorists such as Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget, Maslow, and Bruner. As a result of my

undergraduate degree in German and Russian languages and literature with a heavy emphasis on schools of European

philosophical thought and through my graduate studies, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in literary theory and

criticism, developing a strong interest in semiotics, literary theory, cultural studies and cultural anthropology. Philosophically I am drawn to scholars from various disciplines including Maxine Greene, bell hooks, Martha Nussbaum,

William Ayers, Paolo Freire, Foucault, Derrida, Lévi-Straus, Žižek, Mieke Bal, Terry Eagleton, Foucault, and Patricia

Waugh. Their work has influenced my beliefs about the teaching profession as a potentially paradigm-shifting work of social justice.

I am forward thinking, always planning for what I believe my students will need to know and do when they graduate and

pursue professional lives outside Gustavus. The British educator Sir Ken Robinson talks about the future as “uncertain” (in his TED talk “How Schools Kill Creativity”), so how do we prepare teacher candidates for the future? I read

voraciously across fields as diverse as pedagogy, literary theory, children’s and adolescent literature, graphic novel theory,

theoretical physics, quantum mechanics, film studies, social history, and neuroscience. I strive to integrate media and technology appropriately in my courses, not as a “gimmick” but rather to enhance student learning. In recent semesters I

have made use of the following to support learning in my classes:

Goodreads

Pecha kucha

twitter

thought-provoking documentaries such as Bully, Waiting for Superman, The Hobart Shakespeareans, The

First Year, The Orphan Trains, Born into Brothels

Most recently, during the summer 2015 I began researching resources to use in my methods courses to help students learn

about computer coding for children and to support the new work that kindergarten cooperating teachers at South are implementing in STEM/STEAM.I have been teaching myself coding programs such as Scratch and Python so that I can

begin to teach our methods students simple coding activities that they could use during practicum as a powerful tool for

teaching children logical thinking, reasoning, problem solving and the idea of trial-and-error that is fundamental to

innovation and creativity. I have invested my own money into purchasing the following resources to use in class:

Wonder Workshop Dash & Dot robots

Ozobot

Robot Turtles board game

Both Dash & Dot and Ozobot have been designed with teacher support sites that provided lesson plans and activities

connected directly to STEM; given the increasing interest in STEM/STEAM in our schools and thinking towards the future, I am committed to providing my students with opportunities to learn to use these and other innovative resources

I am constantly seeking new ways to infuse my courses with opportunities for students to engage with ideas that challenge

the educational status quo, to become advocates for their students and to nurture the healthy social-emotional development of their students by creating classroom environments that are places of safety, security, peaceful endeavors, respect, love,

and kindness. During the fall 2014 semester I shared the documentary Bully with my elementary methods students and as

a result of their emotional response to this powerful indictment of school bullying I suggested that we do an anti-bullying flash mob. The students were immediately excited and motivated; in November of the semester after recruiting dance

majors to increase the size of our mob and rehearsing a dance choreographed by one of my methods students to Sara

Bareilles’ song “Brave”, the students performed the flash mob in the cafeteria. We all still have the t-shirts designed for the event that state “Silence Bullying” and are a reminder for how as teachers we have to be open to opportunities that

come up unexpectedly in our classes.

I serve my students in quiet, less visible or overt ways and although it makes me feel slightly self-serving to share these examples, it is necessary for the purposes of this statement because I have shown my commitment not only to promoting

the open exchange of ideas & the independent pursuit of learning, but also to nurturing a sense of community through my

work and interactions with students:

I work hard to mentor my students as beginning teachers. I make opportunities to meet with my students

at the cafeteria or local coffee shops to discuss course work or simply to check in with them and find out they are doing balancing all the aspects of their busy lives;

Being available to students and listening when students need to or want to talk;

Helping students process their experiences in the classroom and in the field;

Paying attention to the psychosocial and emotional needs of my students;

Attending to the emotional climate of the classroom and addressing issues or needs

I genuinely care about my students and demonstrate this by always taking time for them even when I am

busy; I get to know them as individuals with lives outside the college classroom;

“Food & Philosophizing” Lunches with students;

As part of my children’s literature course during the 2011-13 year I organized “Film & Fellowship”

Evenings that followed our weekly class meetings to view, discuss, and critique contemporary films connected to children’s literature;

I have paid KDP dues for students who have shared with me in private that they were invited to join the

education honor society but were unable to pay and therefore considered declining the invitation.

During the period when KDP was struggling to stay an active organization, I organized and paid for

Honor cords for graduating seniors in 2011 and 2012. I wanted to make sure the seniors had honor cords

in recognition of their achievements.

In our methods block we urge our students to take care of themselves physically and emotionally

throughout the semester and especially during practicum; I have brought lunch to students during

practicum when they have forgotten to bring their own;

When practicum students and teacher candidates in student teaching call or text me with last-minute

requests for resources, I have consistently either taken materials to my office late at night (so they have

them in the morning prior to teaching) or delivered the materials to their residence.

I was raised in the Catholic Church and attended a catholic private high-school (St. Ursula’s College and Downland’s

College in Toowoomba, Australia) and although I am more private about sharing my spiritual beliefs, I consider myself an

ecumenical Christian. To teach is to serve. Everything we do as educators in the college classroom and out in the field

working with teachers, administrators, teacher candidates and their students is founded upon service. When I work with

teachers during kindergarten and elementary practicum, I am deeply concerned with supporting them and ensuring that

my expectations as a college instructor complement the work they do in their classrooms every day.

I am committed to the ideals of service and justice. Weber & Mitchell (1995) asked the profound question: “What is the

taste, smell, look, touch, and meaning of ‘teacher’ these days? What does it matter?” (p. 20). I have come to the realization that to teach means to embrace uncertainty with passion and daring. Teaching is the work of human beings

engaged in synergistic interactions. It is a dance. It should be joyous and heartfelt. To borrow a teaching metaphor from

Lawton, the term that best describes how I think of teaching is that of “radical” (qtd in Weber & Mitchell, 1995, p. 22); our role as teachers is bring about change not to maintain the status quo and thus teaching is one of those professions that

has the greatest possibility for creativity and innovation. I constantly seek out ways to embed in my class activities,

opportunities to explore issues connected to the broader community and global factors that potentially influence teaching.

I believe that many of our students are more privileged than students at other institutions both here and abroad; I am not referring to financial or socio-economic privilege but rather to opportunity. I strive to help our students think about what

life and education is like for children in other parts of the world and to encourage them to develop empathy. The Power of

Our Words and Teaching Children to Care are two texts I started using in my kindergarten methods courses because I am

committed to helping out students develop as caring professionals.

As a teacher I believe that it is my responsibility to support and mentor my students. I strive always to be fair and objective,

to provide constructive feedback that will help my students learn better, to help them make progress in their lives as

individuals and students, and to help them as they grapple with ideas that might challenge their thinking. During a lecture at Purdue University in 2003, Professor William Ayers described students as “unruly sparks on a meaning-making quest

who arrive at school with the question: “Who am I in the world?” This statement resonates for me to this day. I believe that

our role as teachers is not to indoctrinate, to dictate, to determine the life course of our students, but rather to nurture this

“meaning-making quest” with humility because what we don’t know is greater than what we do know. Freedom is imperative if we hope to help our students realize that they can have a dynamic place in the world and education has the

potential to provide opportunities for students to develop enlightened freedom. Sometimes the most inspiring teaching

moments happen when we are uncertain of our destination and together with our students map our journey but are uncertain of its end. Reaching the elusive horizon is a constant struggle and source of delight. Part of the excitement of teaching is

that striving towards the future, towards uncertainty and the sometimes unknowable; we cannot always foresee the end

result of our work, and yet there is a strange sense of satisfaction in knowing that we do not know all and that nothing is

final. I suspect that this notion of searching is at the heart of my own teaching. When I made the decision to become a teacher, I was deeply committed to the daily work of meeting the diverse needs of my students. This has remained a priority

through my years of teaching in graduate school and was a fundamental reason for my choice to work at Gustavus.