Teaching Initiative Award
Shamaine Bertrand, Ph.D.
- A Ph.D. in Multilingual/Multicultural Education with a specialization in Education Policy from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.
- Assistant Professor of Elementary Education in the School of Teaching and Learning.
The most rewarding aspect of teaching for me is
When I see my students become critical, reflective, and passionate about wanting to make a difference in the classroom, especially students who have limited exposure to racial and socioeconomic diversity. It is in this moment that I know that I have made a difference and that I am fulfilling my purpose.
The most challenging aspect of teaching for me is
Teaching equity, social justice, and how to support Black, Latinx, and students from impoverished backgrounds to students from racial and socioeconomic backgrounds that are the opposite of both the students that I am teaching them to support and myself. As a Black woman professor, in order to teach my students about these topics I am always focusing on building community in my courses, I have to be vulnerable and understand that patience is key because every student is entering my classroom with strengths, biases, and experiences that may be different than mine. The real learning cannot take place until our community is built and this takes time.
The one teaching technique or strategy that I would recommend to my colleagues to enhance student learning the most is
A beginning of the semester activity titled, "I wish my professor knew..." that I adopted from Kyle Schwartz's… I pass students out half sheets on the first day of class that has the prompt across the top, "I wish my professor knew..." While I do not require students to write their name on the slip of paper, it helps me to know what my students are facing and I am able to then begin to think about how I can be supportive to them throughout the semester.
