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Congratulations to Teaching Associate HEATHER SHEARER, a third-year Ph.D. student in CCR, for being awarded a 2002 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. Although this is only her second year of teaching at SU, Heather has racked up an impressive array of credentials and accomplishments. In addition to 105 and 205, she has taught 405, 307, and 305. Classroom observers remarked that the activities she designed "brilliantly promoted critical thinking" and "generated insightful discussion," stimulating students to engage in "rich intellectual conversation and writing." Her students praised her enthusiasm and talent, saying that her assignments were both interesting and instructive, each one serving a purpose that she articulated well. In her work with 405/307, Heather helped lead the faculty in re-conceptualizing technical communication in light of the digital global medium of the Worldwide Web, designing an exciting version of 307 in its first semester of implementation. In 305 (research writing), Heather was praised for her flexibility in adapting the syllabus to the needs of particular students in her section. As Carol Lipson says: "Heather has proven herself a teacher of great flexibility, able to take new assignments involving particular groupings of students and differing curricular requirements, and to design an original course plan in which students engage in substantive learning, and to which students respond positively." Carol adds: "This is no mean feat." In addition to her teaching, Heather has served as assistant to Writing Center Administrator Bruce Pegg, helping to prepare the Vision Grant which was successfully funded this year and putting together a web site for graduate student directors of Writing Centers across the country. She also assisted Director for Undergraduate Studies Margaret Himley in developing and assessing the new curriculum. Heather focused on how the new curriculum has been received by various groups within the Program and by students. She conducted interviews, a literature review on reception/assessment studies, and a statistical analysis of the outcomes evaluations for the new TA sections, and helped to design the learning outcomes assessment form. As Carol Lipson remarks: "She is already contributing in many ways at the level of a faculty member." |
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Congratulations to MA student and second-year TA CRISTINA LUCIA STASIA for being awarded a 2002 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. Cristina has impressed the full-time faculty with her commitment, goals, imaginative energy, and willingness to challenge students. As Margaret Himley says: "Cristina is a great teacher: intellectually challenging, direct, engaging, risk-taking, and supportive of students as individual thinkers and writers," adding that lots of students actually attend Cristina's office hours because they are eager to continue the provocative discussions she leads in class. As a research section teacher, Cristina pioneered exciting assignments such as the rant and the 'zine. She takes an overtly political approach to teaching, bringing in theories of difference from an overtly feminist perspective. "Clearly," Margaret says, "her courses operate at a high and demanding level," a perception backed up by her enthusiastic course evaluations. "She walks the high wire without a net--and pulls it off," a terrific accomplishment for any teacher. |
