Samantha E. Lawrence

Teaching and Mentorship

Recent​ Teaching-Related

​Accomplishments

  • Completed the Graduate Certificate in College Instruction (May 2020), NEAG School of Education, University of Connecticut
  • Recipient of the 2019-2020 Office of Undergraduate Research Mentorship Excellence Award
  • Recipient of the 2019-2020 University of Connecticut Instructor of the Year Award
  • Nominated for the 2019-2020 Aetna Graduate Teaching Award
  • Recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Instructor in HDFS Award
  • Provost's Acknowledgement for Teaching Excellence (2019)
  • Check out my latest piece, "Challenging the Stigma of Community College Students and Alumni​," published June 2019 on the That Wasn't on the Syllabus blog

Independent Teaching Experience

  • Research Methods in Human Development and Family Sciences (Spring 2019)
  • Adolescent Development (Fall 2019, Spring 2020)
  • Diversity Issues (Summer 2020)
  • Infancy through Adolescent Development (Fall 2020, Spring 2021)

 Professional Development &

​Resources

Courses Taken as part of the UConn Graduate Certificate in College Instruction
  • Fundamentals of Teaching and Learning
  • Seminars in College Instruction

Helpful Blogs
  • ​The Professor Is In Blog
  • That Wasn't on the Syllabus Blog
  • Dr. Eva Lefkowitz Blog

Helpful Books
  • Cheating Lessons by James M. Lang
  • The Professor Is In by Karen Kelsky
  • Creating Significant Learning Experiences by L. Dee Fink

Pedagogical Approach

​As a teacher in the field of human development and family sciences, three primary goals influence my practice:
  1. To foster critical, creative, and practical thinking skills, emphasizing the applicability of course content to real-world contexts
  2. To actively engage and empower students in their learning experience
  3. To incorporate and respect diversity of all kinds at every level of my practice, from inclusive course content to sensitive accommodations
Foster Development of Thinking Skills
​Given the importance of critical, creative, and practical thinking skills across disciplines, my assignments strategically hone these skills. For example, students in my Adolescent Development course are challenged to a) evaluate the efficacy of prevailing programs, policies, and practices and b) develop their own intervention or prevention programs to meet an adolescent need in a developmentally sensitive manner.
 
"Sam really stimulates the learning of her students. She wants her students to succeed and presents course material in an effective way that is clear and easy to understand. She also provides many hands on assignments to take what we are learning in class and apply it." 
- Research Methods Student, UConn
Actively Engage & Empower Learners
To ensure students are actively engaged, I believe it is my privilege and responsibility as a teacher to make the content relevant and applicable (e.g., by getting to know students early in the semester, I can tailor lectures and activities to students' academic/career interests). Further, rather than framing learning as a transaction, I encourage students to take ownership of their learning, connecting content to concepts that are meaningful to them.  
"I loved how helpful Sam was in helping students with questions and she wanted every student to succeed. She also cared deeply about our research and papers."
​- Research Methods Student, UConn
Incorporate & Respect Diversity 
An environment conducive to student learning is one in which all students feel respected. Just as my research is embedded in issues of diversity and inclusion, so too is my pedagogy. I address diversity and inclusion at numerous levels. For one thing, diverse figures and issues are inextricably woven into my course content (e.g., discussing in the importance of developing culturally and (dis)ability sensitive measures; delving into issues of LGBTQ+ adolescent victimization in schools). Further, I develop my course materials and schedule office hours with accessibility for all in mind (e.g., "nontraditional" students may need evening office hours; I offer a variety of assignment formats to mitigate high stakes test anxiety). 
"One of the things that I also appreciated about Sam was her desire for the class to do well, and not just the class, but even me as an individual. She asked me about how I was doing and made me feel important. She always let us know that she was there as a resource and offered herself as a helping hand in anything we needed.

This resonated with me personally, because sometimes as a first-generation college student you can feel alone at such a big campus, with little support or guidance. However, with Sam, she was always there supporting and helping me every step of the way. This made the semester a little easier, just knowing there was a person who cared. It is truly inspirational. I appreciate her kindness and I am very thankful that I got the chance to have her as an instructor for my HDFS class. She played a vital role in my success." 
​- Research Methods Student, UConn

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