"An outstanding doctoral candidate in History, Rebecca MacAlpine is a dedicated, disciplined, and thoughtful student, and she brings those same characteristics to her roles as TA, instructor, and most recently departmental TA Mentor and Coordinator." So reads the Arts Award for Excellence in Teaching citation announced in the spring issue of Waterloo's Inside Arts Newsletter.
“Rebecca’s thoughtful approach to pedagogy is truly exceptional. Her inspiring approach to all elements of teaching – both formal and informal – has made an impression across the Tri-U," says Tri-U Director, Jane Nicholas. "We are proud that her work has been recognized with a 2021 Arts Award.”
In Rebecca's recent work as a TA Mentor and Coordinator, she felt it "was most important to build a community of practice amongst emerging teaching assistants in the history department. Through this strategy," she explains, "we can build confidence and competence among new teaching assistants to better support their assessment and teaching practices."
"In building a community that encourages students to discuss pedagogy in a constructive and growth-oriented framework, we build connections with peers and the broader departmental community, as well as support teaching assistants in their exploration of various approaches to the presentation of historical discourse through an engagement with research in pedagogy and history education."
Congratulations, Rebecca!
As a TA Mentor and Coordinator, it was most important to build a community of practice among emerging TA's in the history department.