Stacy M.

Reikowsky, ABD, Lecturer in American History and Graduate Student 1

North Dakota State University / (701) 205-9905 / Stacy.Reikowsky@ndsu.edu

Teaching Philosophy
As a low-income student, who began an educational endeavor at a community

college with a GED and has since progressed to doctoral-level work, I understand first-

hand and appreciate the gateway to education that a community college represents

for students seeking an advanced degree outside of a traditional four-year institution.

Because the community college setting allows any student, whether degree seeking,

transfer oriented, or still undeclared in their major, access to an affordable education

experience, the ability to recognize, adjust, and foster greater acceptance of a more

diverse student body is paramount.

Instruction in the field of history has traditionally relied on passive, lecture-

based teaching techniques that primarily encourage an equally flaccid learning

experience. As a result, the use of lecture-only style requires little more from the

student than rote memorization of historical figures, places, and events for recall only

at the time of written examinations. The meaning, significance, and importance of vital

elements of the historical narrative become overlooked or lost altogether. By

implementing more interactive teaching methods, instructors and students foster a

more active experience through direct participation. Students ultimately reach a

higher understanding and ability to think, write, and communicate about class content

and historical interpretation.

Examples of a participation-based approach include in-class primary source

analysis exercises with writing workshops that specifically address issues with

interpretation of and writing in a history-based fashion, group discussions led by both

students and teacher, and establishing and maintaining an ongoing dialogue during

class by soliciting real-time feedback from students while exploring content both
 Stacy M. Reikowsky, ABD, Lecturer in American History and Graduate Student 2
North Dakota State University / (701) 205-9905 / Stacy.Reikowsky@ndsu.edu

written and digital. Likewise, a blended learning approach to instruction and evaluation

allows an instructor to place special emphasis on open dialog and the role of empathy

and agency in history, which generates new notions regarding the relevancy and

importance the discipline plays in their studies.

As important, establishing a relationship with archivists and the areas individual

history represents a progressive opportunity to introduce elements of research and

public history into a more traditional community college academic curriculum. By

building classwork, course content, and even field experiences around local historical

repositories, instructor and students not only help to strengthen the relationship

among the institutions, but also elevate student and institutional presence within the

community; because doing the work of historians hands-on, even at an introductory

level, makes it real.

At the same time, it is as important for an instructor in the field of history to

create and sustain an active relationship with other members of the faculty, both

inside and outside the department. Doing so promotes a collaborative learning

environment for students and encourages ongoing and concerted efforts to maintain a

higher standard of excellent in teaching and practicing history among the faculty.

Having studied and assisted in the field for over a decade, and now currently

teaching, I believe that engagement with history can empower anyone to analyze,

think critically, and communicate on a higher level regardless of their circumstances.

At the same time, having lived, studied, and worked in two adversely different social

and cultural environments, I can empathize with the larger elements that diverse

scholastic settings present and adjust practices according to any local environment
 Stacy M. Reikowsky, ABD, Lecturer in American History and Graduate Student 3
North Dakota State University / (701) 205-9905 / Stacy.Reikowsky@ndsu.edu

and help optimize student success within nearly any college landscape. Although not

every student is the same, my experiences have taught me that the instructor plays in

integral role in helping anyone and everyone learn and I strive to become a better

resource of opportunity for all students and any institution under which I serve.