Tracey McKenzie, professor of sociology at Collin College, has been chosen one of four U.S. Professors of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
The winners of the 2009 awards each receive $5,000. They were evaluated by the organizations on their "dedication, their positive effects on students, and their ability to advance undergraduate teaching." Only one winner this year was from a community college.
As noted in a press release, Ms. McKenzie wants the students in her classes to see connections between academic disciplines. To highlight them, she has co-taught classes with instructors from computer science, statistics, Spanish, and political science.
It makes particular sense for her to teach across disciplines, Ms. McKenzie says, because sociology is about social problems, and some solutions to those problems are studied in other parts of academe. For example, Ms. McKenzie teaches a class on the power of the media with a political science faculty member. The teachers ask students in the courses to analyze political propaganda and then create their own. Using political history to demonstrate ideas from sociology enriches students' understanding of both disciplines, she says.
For a class on sexuality, co-teaching with a political science professor means the students examine the roles of women in politics, Ms. McKenzie says.
The diversity of students in her classes mirrors the diversity of disciplines that she has worked with. Working at a community college means students come with different levels of college readiness, from different ethnic backgrounds, and at different times in life. Ms. McKenzie notes that she has had students as young as 18 and as old as 76. That means they bring a range of experience that enriches class discussions, she says.
"Whatever I'm talking about, there's always one student who's had that experience."
More information is available here.
Comments