Awards

Lieber Memorial Associate Instructor Award - 2022

About Sarah Pedzinski

Associate instructor Sarah Pedzinski has distinguished herself as a gifted and outstanding teacher while pursuing a Ph.D. in English Literature at Indiana University. Pedzinski supports first-generation and traditionally underrepresented students while teaching them to appreciate literature and writing. The art of teaching how to write at a college level requires creativity and dedication—both traits which Pedzinski possesses in abundance. As an instructor for W131 and L204, she teaches the traditional survey-style courses that are required for most undergraduates. Pedzinski views this as an opportunity to create new and original curricula, which she shares with other instructors via Canvas. In recognition of her exceptional teaching abilities, she was hired as the first W131 Groups Program Coordinator, transforming the traditional semester-long W131 writing class into a six week summer composition course for incoming freshmen in the Groups Scholars Program.

Pedzinski fosters student agency within the classroom and promotes a class environment that is full of inclusion and participation. After receiving feedback about how office hours were intimidating for some students, she rebranded them as visiting hours and encouraged her students to just stop by and say hi. If a large group should arrive at the same time, she asks them to peer-edit each other’s papers while she talks to one person at a time. Pedzinski believes in encouraging students to recognize their own abilities and not to feel shy about expressing a contradictory opinion. Based on student feedback, she has fine-tuned her own comments on student papers to be more direct and starts each class by reviewing the day’s agenda and connecting the sections and activities together. Pedzinski’s interactive teaching style has enabled her to truly connect with her students