We’re hearing that the call for nominations could go out any day now for the 2014 GATA Awards. Maybe it’s the afterglow of the Celebration of Teaching Excellence and the Celebration of Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity, or maybe it’s that group-selfie fever that’s sweeping the world in the post-Ellen Oscars era, but we’re really excited about this year’s awards.

Do doubt, as we suggested, you’ve been thinking about the special GAs/TAs you know that might deserve a nomination, but maybe you haven’t made up your mind yet. In an effort to demonstrate just how impactful the GATA Awards can be, we’ve been catching up with past winners to see how their awards have affected them. Now we’re sharing their feedback.

Christin Moeller was one of three winners of the GA/TA Award for Educational Leadership in 2012. As a frequent collaborator of the Network, we’ve been witness to the great work that Christin does in the classroom. Here’s a look at Christin’s profile from the 2012 GATA Awards.

christinmoellerChristin Moeller (Psychology)
Christin is committed to student learning: she designs and facilitates workshops, organizes student retreats, participates in course enhancement processes, mentors and advises peers, and serves as a student representative on campus-wide committees. S he truly creates a positive learning-centred community in her department.

 

Christin is no longer a course GA, but you may have attended her workshop on identifying plagiarism in students’ papers and assignments GATAcademy 2013. Lately, she’s focused more on her research activities, including her dissertation (she’s a PhD candidate!) and other research projects, and she hopes to graduate next year. While she views her award as a great accomplishment, Christin was quick to explain that the nomination process was what she found most rewarding.

How did you find out you had been nominated?
C: A faculty member from the Dept of Psychology emailed me to indicate that they’d like to nominate me.

What was the most difficult part of the nomination process? Why?
C: To be honest, I don’t remember there being a “difficult part”. Assembling the nomination dossier (getting other letters of support, writing the statement, etc.) was somewhat time consuming, but not really “difficult”.

Had teaching and learning been a big part of your life before you won the award? How did the award change your views?
C: Teaching and learning had certainly been a big part of my life as a GA before I won the award. Being a GA has truly been one of my most enjoyable roles as a grad student: I greatly enjoyed working with undergraduate students and always tried to support their learning experience as much as I could. This meant that I aimed to not only provide “course-specific” support, but also, to provide guidance and assistance with other academic matters, such as navigating graduate school applications. For me, being a GA didn’t just “stop” at the end of a semester: Like learning, “teaching” (in my case, “mentoring” is probably more appropriate) is an ongoing experience. The GATA Award is a reminder that being a GA/TA can be so much more than grading papers and invigilating exams – It’s an opportunity to have a lasting, meaningful impact on students’ learning experience.

How has the GATA Award impacted your life, if at all?
C: Certainly, receiving the award was a great “official” accolade and a fantastic addition to my CV. Yet, I would have to say that the nomination process in and of itself had the most impact on me personally: I was so honoured that students, staff, and faculty were writing these wonderful letters of support for my nomination dossier. Even now, a few years after I was presented with the award, the nomination dossier itself is an incredibly telling and encouraging memento of the positive impact I’ve had on students and the wider university community.

 

2 Responses to Catching Up With Past GATA Award Winners: Christin Moeller

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