Outstanding University Teaching Award, Non-Tenured

Jennifer Woodruff, M.S.

Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
M.S. from Illinois State University in 2006

Teaching Philosophy

Students must be able to learn what we teach them or we are not doing our job as college professors.

The most rewarding aspect of teaching for me is…

That moment when I see a student "get it." It is so rewarding to watch a student get in the know. I love it.

For me, the least favorite part of teaching is …

I hate having to fail students. I especially don't understand why students just don't come to class. When they do that they are sure to fail. I wish I could make they put in an effort...but I can't.

I want to continue to improve my teaching in the following ways …

Advancement and new ways to engage. Students have so many toys right now that it is hard to keep them interested for long. How can I keep up? What can I do that's fun? If I show too many videos, they complain. If I lecture too much they complain. I need to continually find new ways of engagement.

Regarding my teaching accomplishments, I am proudest about …

The moment when I realized I didn't need to use Powerpoint to teach anymore. I use it for the students, but I don't need it anymore. When you are a new teacher, everything is so scary and you doubt your knowledge and abilities to deliver that knowledge. One day I realized (when the computer was not cooperating) that I could simply write what they needed to know all over the board. I love to do boardwork and I completely loved it. I realized that day that I not only could teach without PowerPoint but the material I needed to teach was in my head. It was a great feeling.

The one teaching technique or strategy that I would recommend to my colleagues to enhance student learning the most is …

Learning student names - it helps build relationships with your students faster.