Tiffany Beebe is a 6th year PhD student studying History. Her research focuses on modern Britain and Europe and she is interested in migration and refugee studies, gender and sexuality, and empire. Tiffany was recently awarded a Teaching Excellence Award based on her teaching philosophy and dedication to her students. We asked Tiffany a few questions to learn more about her as a teacher and get to know her better. Read more below!
What is your favorite part about teaching?
I love getting to know my students and their interests, then incorporating those into our history lessons to show that history is all around us. It's not just about names and dates and long-dead boring guys, it's about people and their real, messy lives, families, jobs, hobbies. Anything can be turned into a topic for historical study!
What is a favorite teaching resource you would like to share with other graduate teachers?
"Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto" by Kevin Gannon is incredible and will change how you look at your classroom and your role within it!
What are your recommendations for continuing or increasing student advocacy and engagement?
Give students options and a say in what they will learn and accomplish in your class. Perhaps let them pick from a variety of assignment types or formats, or design their own project. Let their own interests guide them in what they want to learn/accomplish next. By doing this, they have a personal stake and interest in the class and will be more likely to want to engage with the materials, classmates, and the professor.
Tell us a fun fact about you that is not related to your teaching and research.
I spent six months backpacking Britain with my cat while doing my dissertation research. (I suppose that's related to my research...)
What is a good book you have read recently and why did you enjoy it?
I think I re-read Deborah Harkness' "All Souls Trilogy" at least once a season because I always discover something new in the vivid relatable characters, fantastically researched historical settings, and the complex creature world that Harkness creates. (Don't get me started on the TV show adaptation though!...)