Experience Summary
As a college instructor I had the independence to effectively plan and edit syllabi, give daily presentations and lectures, and regularly mentor students from all walks of life. I also frequently initiated and organized guest speakers’ presentation dates and topics, networked with local politicians and foreign diplomats, graded research papers, drafted daily lecture plans and participated in curriculum review committee meetings. I especially enjoyed these tasks because they increased my ability to consistently meet deadlines and run various projects at once. I believe that my teaching experience enhanced my overall resourcefulness, including my ability to work and communicate with culturally diverse populations.
Teaching Style
My teaching style embraces an atmosphere of inclusion. It provides for active student engagement on a daily basis. Students communicated to me that I have been an inspiration to them: my mentoring has helped them believe in themselves and further their intellectual goals. And, on last quarter’s instructor evaluation forms, students reveal that "[I am] reliable, prepared, involved, accessible." My joy for teaching that I instantaneously display to students contributes to students’ growing interest in various cultures, issues of global magnitude and multiple perspectives; students’ desire to express their voice as global learners; and the enhancement of students’ civic engagement and social responsibility. My four years of college-level teaching experience reveals my genuineness and resourcefulness – something that my Winter 2006 teaching observation clearly entails:
"I was consistently impressed with how comfortable and approachable she was with her students; Ms. Gaidos clearly has a solid rapport with them … she managed to consistently hold students to a high level of scholarship … She encouraged participation without sacrificing scholarship or intellectual rigor … [This was] an excellent and compelling class led by an excellent instructor."