Outstanding University Graduate Student Teaching – Masters I

Anjali Patel

Graduate teaching assistant with the School of Communication.
A. from Illinois College in December 2018 before starting at Illinois State in August 2019.
Patel teaches both the basic Communication as Critical Inquiry course and special sections that focus on classroom communication.

The resource or person that has been the most important influence in my teaching career is … (and why)

The resource or person that has been the most important influence in my teaching career is Dr. Cheri Simonds. From the moment I met Dr. Simonds, and learned under her instruction, I was immediately determined to learn as much as I could from her. Her pedagogical practices and classroom environment is engaging and never intimidating. From the moment I met her, Dr. Simonds has expressed her utmost belief and trust in my teaching and learning capabilities. Without her support, I would not have had the strength to believe in myself and pursue opportunities with confidence. Dr. Simonds has had a radiant and uplifting influence on my life.

The most challenging aspect of teaching for me is … (and what I do about it)

We are collectively able to foster interdependent learning and teaching environments through which we may all benefit and grow. I always tell my students and colleges that I learn as much, if not more, from them as I can possibly offer them. I strongly believe that these relationships are the ones that may forge larger, collective success in our world.

Best compliment that I’ve received from a student was …

If they had one thing to look forward to all week, it was our classroom/course. This was powerful to me. It made me feel comforted to know that this student saw our classroom as a safe space.