Coskan-Johnson Named Outstanding TA |
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| Gale Coskan-Johnson, a PhD student in the CCR program, has been named as a recipient of an Outstanding Teaching Assistant award for 2006. The award recognizes teaching assistants who demonstrate excellence in significant instructional capacities. Coskan-Johnson was nominated by The Writing Program, where she has taught WRT 105, WRT 205, and WRT 307, and most recently served as a coordinator for the programs mentorship practicum for new TAs. Margaret Himley, Director of Undergraduate Studies and faculty advisor for the WRT 670 practicum team, had high praise for Coskan-Johnson’s teaching, mentoring, course design, and service. “Gale is a terrific WRT 670 coodinator. She does a brilliant job of assessing what is going on with a new TA, based on discussion and observation, knows when to push and when to step back, offers practical advice that moves things along, and leads 670 discusssions well. Sheis herself a brilliant teacher, raising the intellectual level of work in WRT 105 and WRT 205, drawing students into those challenges, and supporting them as they work toward succeeding at them. She designs excellent course materials. She has gone above and beyond what TAs normally do, with grace and good humor. Her work last year on the Diversity Committee was also brilliant: she designed and organized three panel discussions, with both WP people and people from across campus. The panels were high-powered, well-attended, and moved our thinking along.” Selection for the Outstanding TA award is made by a university-wide committee of faculty recognized for their teaching excellence, and is given to approximately the top 4% of all TAs campus wide. The award was presented as a ceremony in April where faculty were also recognized for Excellence in Graduate Education. |