Life-long Learner
Displays curiosity and passion for learning and transferring enthusiasm to learning to others
When I consider a professor who exemplifies the skill of life-long learning, one immediately comes to mind: Laura Walters. When teaching Westmont’s Music for Children class, she announced at our first meeting that her reason for being here was because she loves continuing to learn about children and adolescents, and the ways in which their brains develop through both nature and nurture experiences. She takes what she is passionate about, music, and turns it into a learning style so that her students can grow into capable adults who relate well to others and contribute to society. Teachers have the power to use their own creativity to "trick" students into learning, when to them it may only appear to be having fun--these activities often prove to be the most memorable. We learned how to use music and games to work with others, while simultaneously having fun and learning about particular classroom subjects. Her desire was to teach us how to do the same, and I hope I can be as passionate and impactful of a teacher as she is someday!
Reflective Practitioner
Displays a willingness to think flexibly, adapt, and develop habits for growth and self-awareness
Westmont’s Dr. Yadav set an example for what it looks like to think flexibly, adapt, and develop habits for personal growth. This semester at Westmont has proven quite interesting, full of school evacuations (due to both fires and mudslides in the area) and serious adaptation for the academic semester. Dr. Yadav has been incredibly flexible with his lesson plans, making a priority the safety and well-being of his students. He offered alternatives for assignments, and maintained great communication with the entire class to make sure everyone was always on the same page. He is also flexible in the sense that, since he teaches a religious studies class, he is sensitive to the perspectives of all students, even though Westmont is a Christian college. He recognizes that not everyone is the same, even under the proverbial umbrella of a Christian Liberal Arts education. He announced at the beginning of the semester that he will provide all of the information of Christian Doctrine to us, but it is our individual responsibility to take that learning and apply it to our own lives. He gives us the knowledge and encourages us to use it to foster our own growth and self-awareness. This is an important lesson to learn as a future educator--I cannot control either situational mishaps or students' attitudes, but what I can manage is to be encouraging and adaptive, offering my students everything they need to know to both take care of themselves and expand their own knowledge.
Compassionate Professional
Displays sympathy, empathy, and responsiveness to others’ needs
Holly Huffnagle demonstrates well what it means to be a compassionate professional in her field. While studying abroad in Europe, Holly taught our group about the Holocaust and World War II, alongside our excursions to significant sights associated with the time period. What I appreciate most about Holly is two-fold: first, she demonstrated compassion for her students while visiting quite sobering sites. The most vivid of these were concentration camps, and after long days of touring these traumatic pieces of history, Holly encouraged dialogue, and comforted us in sadness and confusion. She also showed compassion for those we learned about in history. She created assignments that encouraged us to research the testimonies of specific people in this time period, and in doing so, we were able to appreciate not only this period of history, but the perspectives of the people who were involved. As a teacher, I want to do the same; I hope to foster an environment where differing perspectives are all appreciated. My students should know that their teacher cares deeply for them, both educationally and personally. I hope that in conveying this to my students, they will follow my example and treat each other in the same ways.
Grateful Servant
Displays a humble, appreciative, and professional demeanor dedicated to the service of others
Professor Sugano is one of the most grateful leaders I have ever encountered. As a new addition to the Westmont faculty, he consistently explains to us how thankful he is for the opportunity to be a college professor, and how he is so appreciative of our attention every time we meet for class. While occasionally learning can feel like a chore, I love that Professor Sugano reminds us that, even though we are required to attend class, he is grateful to us for our consistent attendance, and for being willing to participate and be engaged with his lesson. As a future teacher, it is a good reminder that as the leader of a classroom, I should still be thankful for students who volunteer ideas and opinions, or praise those who take their learning seriously. Verbalizing this to them is just as important! When I am told that I am putting in a great effort, it encourages me to keep working just as hard, if not harder. The same goes for a room full of children. They are motivated to please their teacher, and I want to remind them how proud I am of their efforts.