As an educator of future teachers, Wendy Glenn models the principles and practices she hopes her students will apply in their own classrooms.
Glenn, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction in the Neag School of Education and coordinator of the school’s English Education program, says teachers need to recognize “the incredible power and responsibility they possess.”
An educator’s manner, instructional strategies, and dedication to their work can drastically alter the lives of those they educate, says Glenn, who was recently named a Teaching Fellow by the University’s Institute for Teaching and Learning.
While teachers today face constant pressure to improve student performance on standardized tests, Glenn takes a more holistic view, urging her students to see themselves as “responsible for much more than increased test scores.” She wants the future teachers in her classes to be fully committed to supporting their students both as learners and as people.
The Institute for Teaching and Learning awards one or more teaching fellowships each academic year to tenured UConn professors dedicated to advancing the learning process through personal research and study. Nominees must also exemplify exceptional teaching, guidance, and support to students both inside and outside the classroom. The nominee’s teaching philosophy, experience, honors, and evaluations, as well as statements from students and faculty peers are taken into consideration.
“As an instructor of future English teachers, Professor Wendy Glenn shares her passion for literature, writing, and language,” says Keith Barker, director of the Institute for Teaching and Learning. “She models some of the best teaching practices and creates classroom experiences that allow students to construct their own knowledge. Her colleagues point out that she is creating a new generation of motivated and skilled teachers.”
Glenn hopes that her students will become better teachers through her example. “Dr. Glenn greeted each class with a smile and unbridled enthusiasm,” says Amanda Friedman, one of Glenn’s former students, now a teacher herself. “Her energy was infectious and you could not help but look forward to each class section.”
Glenn says the classroom should be a community in which all voices are heard and valued. This kind of teaching, she notes, “demands patience, creativity, and commitment, even in the face of difficulty; it necessitates a willingness to consider carefully the goals of education and the diverse needs of [all] students.”
Former student Maggie Stevens, now a language arts teacher for grades 6-8 in New Haven, says Glenn gives each student significant time and attention. Even in her office, says Stevens, “you are the main event. … She will honestly consider any problem you have with an open mind.”
Glenn’s dedication to her students goes far beyond their time in her class or at the University.
Stevens says Glenn continued to serve as a mentor to her after she graduated. “My first year teaching, I had a really difficult group of kids in a difficult school,” Stevens recalls. “There was one day I was ready to quit when … I talked to Wendy. She asked me if I was making a difference. From that day on that year, I closed my door and I did make a difference. I didn’t ‘save’ every student … but I won small battles … I made a difference because Wendy believed in me.”
In addition to being named a Teaching Fellow, Glenn was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to Norway for the 2009-2010 academic year. She is currently traveling around Norway, visiting schools to talk with teens about American life and culture, and providing professional development for teachers.
Glenn says she feels honored to receive both awards, and appreciates working at an institution that “not only values teaching but encourages professional development and growth among its faculty members.”
