2021년 HUFS 강의상 수상자

Merrilee Ann Brinegar (TESOL대학원)

Thank you so much. It is such an honor to receive this award. I remember when I first got notified about receiving the award, I was so taken aback because I wasn’t even sure what it was; however, later after it sank in, I felt so encouraged to keep on doing the unremitting work that is necessary on a daily basis!

There is indeed preparation to be done before each semester starts, but I think the true bulk of the work is not something that can be done in a mad rush right before the semester. Preparing for classes is really a recursive practice, in that even if I have taught a class 5 times before in semesters past, there are always things to tweak. For me, I find the most effective way to prepare is to avoid procrastination. If I think of something today that I can do to improve a class that I won’t teach for another six months, I don’t wait until six months from now to make that improvement. I do it immediately while the idea is fresh and then come back to revisit it again later with fresh eyes.

As I was writing this, I got a text message about a friend whose young daughter is dying, and in less than an hour I have to put on a happy face and get on Zoom to meet with graduate students and fellow professors. What I try to remember as a teacher of adults is that my students also have their own stories and undisclosed tragedies they are dealing with. I have high expectations of my students, but I also try to remember that we are all human, and we all have back stories, which, if people knew, might make them lend us a bit more compassion. Thus, I try to keep that in mind and show kindness and understanding to my students whenever possible. You never know what difficulties they might be going through.

This past year was a unique challenge with many classes online due to the pandemic, and from the feedback I received from students, I think what they value most is organization. Students have a lot on their plates, so they need to be fed information repeatedly and in many different ways; and while teaching mostly online in 2020, that is the area to which I devoted a lot of my time. I made sure to not only create informative and interesting content for my lectures but to also keep students constantly apprised of tasks and looming deadlines through various channels from the syllabus to e-class to emails to Kakao chats. I think that is what made the biggest difference to my students.

To students, my advice would be to take advantage of whatever situation you are in. If you are fortunate enough to be a full-time student without a job, for example, realize how lucky you are and make the most of it! If you find yourself having to work while also being a student, then consider yourself blessed to have the opportunity to get working experience and make connections. Also, maintain your mental acuity! The mind is a horrible thing to waste, so find ways to stay mentally stimulated and fit throughout your life – whether it’s through reading, doing crossword puzzles, playing chess, learning another language, or debating with your friends. You will never regret exercising your mind.