NATCHITOCHES – Five Northwestern State University faculty have been recognized with the 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Here is part four in a series of profiles of this year’s honorees.
Name: Mariann Wilson
Academic college/department: Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies
Number of years at Northwestern State: 16
Why is teaching important to you? The best parts of being a student, for me, were reading interesting texts, discussing new ideas, and imagining how to make the world a better place. Becoming an instructor meant I’d never have to stop going to school. Now, I get to do it for a living. Every semester, I learn from my students, and I hope I encourage them never to stop learning.
Why do you believe you are an effective teacher? I get excited about the original ideas my students have and the critical thinking they do because I want them to see how these skills aren’t just a grade, but what the world needs. A student once reported on an evaluation that I was “annoyingly enthusiastic” about my job, and I agree.
As a teacher, what brings you a feeling of accomplishment when working with students? In my freshman writing classes, I try to model what real writing looks like – talking it out, writing a terrible first draft, making careless mistakes, starting over, changing your mind, asking for help, and, if you work hard enough, ending up with something better than you intended. When students are proud to show me the work they’ve done, especially if they’ve struggled with the content in the past, that’s the good stuff.
How has the current pandemic affected your teaching methods? Transitioning to remote learning in the Spring was tough. I missed the classroom atmosphere and the routines I’ve had for so many years, but I was amazed at how well our students and faculty persevered.
Have you learned anything during the pandemic that will make you a better teacher? Like most of us, I have learned to focus on what really matters – in my life and in my teaching. In previous years, I wasn’t always flexible or patient when students had personal problems or disruptions during the semester. The pandemic has taught me to be human first and to remember that my students and I are all in this together.
