COURSES (click links for syllabi)

FACULTY EXCHANGE DAR ES SALAAM & UF GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT Photo: UF CLAS staff Dr. Rosemarie Mwaipopo, Assistant Professor, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in "Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Women" Spring 2006, University of Florida       I am fortunate to have team-taught a course with Dr. Rose Mwaipopo, of the University of Dar es Salaam ("Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Women," spring 2006). Thanks to a faculty grant from the UF Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research and the UF Center for African Studies, I participated in a Gender and Development Faculty Exchange Program that will greatly influence my future teaching and research.      Having Dr. Rose in the class helped me "think globally" in a much more immediate manner and after visiting with her in Tanzania I grew to respect her and her work immensely.  Her and her colleagues at UDSM are very connected with local agencies and they have mastered the best of scholarship-activism in Tanzania that I strive for in Gainesville. Salaam Dr. Rose!

GRADUATE COMMITTEES

I have also worked informally with the Black Graduate Student Organization and BGSO president Angelique Nixon

NEW COURSES CREATED AT UF

In this course students explore various ways that African American history has been and can be researched. Students are introduced to research topics, themes, and methods in the field of African American history. They discuss this content and structure in relation to collecting, preserving, and disseminating Black cultural, political, and intellectual history. Lastly, students use similar resources and methods to formulate a question relevant to African American history, utilize primary and secondary sources to answer that question, and develop an argument based on their original research.  In this course, students:

• Learn various qualitative and quantitative methods of research by gaining familiarity with primary and secondary sources
• Reinforce writing and critical thinking skills by analyzing historians' evidence and evaluating strengths and weaknesses of research techniques
• Produce and present a final research project in preparation for future academic and professional advancement

This community service-learning (CSL) course engages students in collaborative relationships with local community organizations for which students will be able to provide mentorship for local at-risk youth. The course is a seminar-style practicum course that integrates lectures, appropriate reading in the humanities and social sciences, and community service assignments. Students work through the UF Center for Leadership and Service and become familiar with HIPAA protocol to ensure professional, ethical, and enriching partnership with local agencies. In this course, students will:

• Consider definitions of "at-risk" and theories of mentoring presented in readings and course discussion, apply these theories to UF students' work as mentors
• Analyze models of oppression, resistance, and social justice and apply those models to their own life experiences
• Analyze power, privilege, and socialization within the models listed above, and apply these concepts to life experiences of local Gainesville youth
• Analyze local youths' experiences in a national context
• Consider the themes of identity and relationship development in the lives of youth and record how the youth they work with understand and express these themes
• Provide a final paper combining theories and critical reflection to a local agency

Community Service-Learning Courses (click here)

In Fall of 2004 and 2006, I was recognized as an Anderson/CLAS Scholar Faculty Honoree. I have also been highly rated by the University Center for Excellence in Teaching (UCET). The students completing teaching evaluations generally have rated me an above average teacher, consistent with the evaluations from prior teaching experiences at other institutions. However, I have continued to work hard to improve my teaching by accessing campus resources, specifically by incorporating suggested changes by senior faculty and UCET evaluations, to improve my pedagogy.

In Fall 2003, Dr. Terry Mills evaluated my Research Methods in African American History course.  Dr. Kendal Broad conducted a evaluation of my Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Women section in Spring 2004. In Spring 2006, Dr. Florence Babb, the Vada Allen Yeomans Professor of Women's Studies in the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research, also evaluated my Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Women section and provided helpful feedback. All have helped me continue to sharpen my work. Dr. David Bloomquist, Director of the UF University Center for Excellence in Teaching (UCET) completed a two part evaluation of Introduction to African American Studies in Fall 2004. First, he administered an anonymous mid-term student evaluation; Second, he scheduled a classroom visit and conducted a peer evaluation. Both results showed strong teaching methods and discussed areas of potential improvement. In Fall 2005, I participated in a UCET "Peer Review of Teaching Workshop" featuring Nancy Chism from Purdue University. I look forward to sharing these insights with my departments and improving teaching on a departmental and college level. Additionally, I attended a Fall 2005 workshop on community service-learning (CSL) featuring Tim Stanton of Stanford and Michelle Dunlap of Connecticut College to measure my CSL practice and share resources.

EXCERPT FROM TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

            Overall, I have worked to maintain and improve excellent teaching ratings and uphold rigorous standards in my classroom. Unfortunately, I have had the displeasurable duty of turning students in to the Dean of Students Office (DSO) for not adhering to the UF Student Academic Honor Code. I have participated in academic honesty hearings at the DSO and have ensured my students that I strive to provide excellence in my teaching, but also expect honest and excellent efforts in their learning and scholarly activities. Before attending college, I used to work as a night auditor at a hotel. I was accountable for making sure all of the numbers from various areas (breakfast buffets, lunch and dinner restaurant sales, room rates, bar sales, banquets, etc.) added up. I had to look closely at others' work and, in turn, "show my work" to other auditors and managers to ensure accuracy and accountability on my part as well. I carry the same principals of accounting in my classes; I keep fair and accurate numbers for my classes and expect that all student work will be honest reflections of actual student effort. I expect and give fair evaluation. I do not cheat in my preparation for my teaching, so I do not tolerate cheating from my students.

THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO EXCELLENCE

            My colleagues have provided ample support for my teaching development. By proposing new and general education courses and presenting my work at a meeting of the CLAS curriculum committee (Fall 2005), I have gained insight into the college and university requirements for course development, implementation, and evaluation. I look forward to continuing to grow as a teacher, in and out of the classroom.