A couple of weeks ago, I had the fantastic opportunity to talk to Dr. Barbi Honeycutt and be on the Lecture Breakers podcast. I consider Dr. Honeycutt as one of teaching mentors: when I first came to NC State in 2012, Barbi had a series of workshops to help graduate students and postdoctoral scholars become more effective educators. I remember participating in as many workshops as possible to learn from Barbi’s wealth of experience. I still have a binder full of handouts and notes! One of the aspects of teaching that Barbi emphasized was being a reflective teacher, and I was so honored to be able to talk about this and what I’ve been up to on the Lecture Breakers podcast episode 82. On March 12, while hiding from loud children, I was able to sit on a comfy couch and have a wonderful, honest conversation. I felt I had returned to 2014 when Barbi invited me to be part of a graduate teaching assistant summer workshop as one of a couple of facilitators! Barbi has inspiring energy and a great list of examples of activities and teaching strategies. It was my first time on a podcast, and… I wasn’t nervous. I was talking to my mentor, colleague, and friend about what I like doing: teaching and learning. What a great way to reconnect! It brought me joy, and I hope it helps others as they wrap up an unusual and challenging semester. I am grateful for the mentorship from Dr. Honeycutt and the excitement, honesty, and ideas that students have brought to our new virtual space. I can’t wait to reconnect during the Lecture Breakers Conference this summer. Thank you, Barbi, Pat, Arri, Mom, Claire, and several other fantastic teaching role models.
