This week’s student spotlight is on Niki, a current student in LTS getting ready to graduate in about a month!
Hello Niki! Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how your path brought you to LTS
It’s great to think about what brought me to the LTS program—it’s been a long road! I graduated with a double major in History and Government, and thought I’d wind up going to law school or teaching history, but I’d always loved and studied languages. I kept feeling drawn to that. After a few years working in university administration, I went back to school and earned a BA in French—a language I’d studied off and on since I was 12. I completed a K-12 teacher prep program in Languages Other Than English at the University of Texas, and had plans to teach French in middle or high school. My trajectory changed in 2018. I’d started volunteering to teach ESL to adults at my local library, and fell in love with the work! After two years of that, I started researching MA programs, and was so intrigued by the LTS program. A big part of that was the multilingual environment and approach you have here. I liked that I could learn about TESOL, but could also work with French and be in a multicultural community of polyglots.
Niki (center) with cohort members Allyson (left) and Nicole (right) and Niki’s project advisor Trish Pashby (in softball gear) and LTS director Keli Yerian at a local softball game.
You have had some varied teaching experiences by now. What experiences or themes in your teaching have stood out for you over time?
A long time ago, someone told me one of the most important qualities a teacher can have is to be flexible. Now that I’ve taught in a variety of contexts with students from 8 to 75 years old, I can say the need to be flexible has been an overarching theme. Every school is different, every class is different, and the needs of students are always changing. That’s one thing I love about teaching—it is never boring! And teachers can spend hours planning a lesson, only to have it flop. (I might be speaking from experience here, ha ha!). On the other hand, a teacher can invent an activity on the fly and have it turn into a huge success. Another theme is that it’s important to learn the fundamentals of pedagogy and then ground yourself in those principles as you figure out how you want to layer your own unique style on top. Figuring out who you are as a teacher, and figuring out who your students are, and what they need, is a beautiful thing, because that is how you co-create learning. Finally, I will say, it is very important to get to know your students so that you can respond to them appropriately. It’s sort of like choosing a gift for someone— it’s best to figure out exactly what fits that person, rather than picking randomly or focusing on what you would prefer to give them, if that makes sense.
I worked at Services for Student Athletes, which was such a unique and rewarding experience. I mainly tutored international athletes who were taking courses at the American English Institute here at UO. I also tutored athletes in a few other subjects I know well, like History, Art, and Linguistics. The most important thing I learned was about the unique academic needs of student athletes. These folks have very demanding travel schedules and sometimes feel a lot of pressure to perform in their sport. I viewed my role as helping them create space for an academic self, and helping them forge a path to academic success in the midst of their other responsibilities. I had a few students for three terms in a row, and it was amazing to watch their English proficiency grow. I’m so proud of them!
What are your next steps on your path after LTS?
I’m moving back to Los Angeles and will look for a job. (Hi, recruiters!)
What is a fun fact about yourself that others may not know yet?
I have raised several salamanders, including axolotls! Aren’t they cute?