#NISODProfiles – Angela Shoemake
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“To see my students actually apply what they have learned in class and then experience their excitement over really ‘knowing more than they thought’ is amazing.”
#NISODProfiles | August 22, 2019
How long have you been a college educator?
I have been teaching for 15 years.
What is your favorite part about being a community college educator?
I absolutely love what I do. To be able to pass on my love for nursing to students who are so eager to learn is wonderful. I love to experience students’ excitement and that “Aha!” moment when everything starts coming together.
What is your best piece of advice for new or existing colleagues at community or technical colleges in your field?
My best piece of advice is to have fun! Teaching doesn’t have to be boring! If you have fun, students are more relaxed and enjoying themselves, while also learning. I think more learning takes place in a relaxed environment.
How do you connect with your students?
I connect with my students by getting to know them, and my office door is always open. Times have changed since I went to college: more and more students are coming to school while working full-time to provide for their families. Some students are also single parents and/or caring for their own parents—they have so much on their plates. Students today are trying to makes their lives better and it’s a hard road for them (plus, nursing school is also difficult). It means so much to students to be able to come to someone’s office who will stop what they’re doing and listen to them vent when they are stressed out at school.
Share a memorable teaching experience and explain why it was so impactful.
I have many memorable moments in teaching, so I really do not know how to pick! Many of these moments occur in the clinical area. I teach maternal/child nursing and my students and I go to a Labor and Delivery/Post-partum/Nursery unit for clinical. It is a very different clinical rotation from what they are used to. To see my students actually apply what they have learned in class and then experience their excitement over really “knowing more than they thought” is amazing. Witnessing students’ confidence levels rise as they start to feel good about themselves and their skills is a wonderful feeling.
Every month, NISOD profiles faculty and staff from our member colleges who are doing extraordinary work on their campuses. #NISODProfiles offer a direct connection to your colleagues from across the world who exemplify NISOD’s mission of improving teaching, learning, and leadership.