Teaching Effectiveness
I was working fulltime as a Technical Writer for a financial company in 2017 when I began to teach Introduction to Technical Communication as an Adjunct. Shortly into that Spring semester, I realized that this was the career path I wanted. I decided to pursue a doctoral degree because I wanted to teach subjects related to my industry experience and academic research. Though I enjoyed crafting technical communication, I preferred fostering growth in students. Since this first semester of teaching, I have sought to create an inclusive, interactive learning environment and curriculum where students of different backgrounds and specialties can contribute to discussions, participate in active learning, and develop communication skills.
Throughout these years, I have consistently scored high in teaching evaluations. I have thematically grouped excerpts of qualitative student evaluations in the sections below. Students note that I incorporate multimedia and emerging media in a useful, challenging way while still teaching them foundational skills and theory. They also refer to their positive active learning experiences and explain that I create a welcoming environment for diverse opinions and open discussions.
Out-of-Classroom Engagement
“I really liked the [VR] packet because we worked outside the medium of writing, i would like to see more assignments like this one.”
“The course content was very refreshing as it gave students the opportunity to write about their own games that they enjoy as well as giving them new games to talk about and review. We also learned a lot about VR and other gaming systems and how those gaming systems affect how we view the real world.”
In-Classroom Engagement
“The interactive discussions helped as I learned a substantial amount from my peers.”
“I really like discussing the analyses that we would do for homework the night before. It really helps break down and understand different technical writing strategies that were used in different literary works.”
“The course content was fun to learn, my English classes in the past were very boring and this class made it fun to learn about technical communication”
“We were always allowed to ask questions, and the class was different each time we went in. This made it fun to go.”
Coursework Design
“I think the instructor provided very interesting and intuitive prompts that allowed the students to bring in personal experiences into with their responses to the readings.”
“I think all of the texts were very interesting to read and they provided an alternate perspective on issues in the gaming world that were very contemporary, relevant, and informative.”
“Professor Sindelar did a great job teaching this course. She made class interesting and fun, and provided projects and papers that were interactive and interesting. The course load was intensive but not overwhelming, and she made sure everyone thoroughly understood our assignments.”
Graduate Feedback
"I really appreciated how the class was broken up into both study and action. The readings and small writing assignments informed me of the methodologies and thoughts within field and then the actual semester-long project we participated in gave me practical working knowledge of the field. The snacks during break and the coffee available in office hours made me feel so welcomed. Dr. Sindelar went above and beyond to make sure she was available to help us with any questions or frustrations we encountered during both the project and the readings aspect."
"This is one of the only classes where I felt like I was being challenged don't change anything."
Classroom Management
“My instructor challenge[d] my ability to critique myself. In my opinion, she graded my assignments on a higher level. I am a older student, and I have experience with writing several forms of documentation. Perhaps this is because I have been able to apply minimal effort in the past, this has not been acceptable with Professor Sindelar. She challenged my thoughts and abilities, thus inspiring me to put forth a more eff ort. Professor Sindelar has an open mind, and is willing to except certain arguments pertaining to discussions in class, with documented evidence. Her ability and willingness to help anyone and everyone is noteworthy. This is a quality that should be noted.”
“The professor was always more than ready to help one on one.”
“Overall, I really enjoyed this course, which I credit to having Professor Sindelar. She is simply amazing! Since I met her she has consistently been a pleasure to have as a professor. She is kind, insightful, thoughtful, dedicated, respectful, and so much more. She genuinely cares for each of her students and takes the time to make sure everyone understands the course material. As far as the coursework, I felt that it is helpful to learn how to write proper documents that accompany would ask a student for.”