Florence Hamrick

 

Florence Hamrick

Associate Professor

Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

 

Career Achievement in Teaching Award

 

“Flo does not do the thinking for people; she challenges their thinking and fosters their intellectual and personal growth.” This statement from one of Florence Hamrick’s former pupils encapsulates the teaching style that has left such a memorable impression on so many of her students and colleagues.

Hamrick has taught an unusually diverse set of courses, including classes focused on qualitative methodology, student development theory, dissertation writing and educational research. She has long been recognized for her tremendous ability to facilitate class discussions, which she utilizes in almost all of her courses. She does this by fostering high levels of comfort and mutual respect among her students, who admire her willingness to expose her own thinking as a means of encouraging them to do the same. This approach not only fosters collaboration among classmates, but effectively promotes the development of personal opinions and reactions to the materials presented in her classes. Additionally, this method dovetails with Hamrick’s belief that providing new experiences for students – and helping them reflect upon their own past and present experiences – facilitates profound and long-term learning.

She sets high expectations for her students and insists that they invest in their own learning and development. At the same time, she balances these expectations by providing equally strong academic support and the resources by which to reach them. Hamrick also works to instill confidence in her students, as her willingness to actively listen and understand their viewpoints allows them to develop their own voices and writing styles. She develops this confidence by capitalizing on her students’ pre-existing knowledge and interests.

Students also appreciate her humility and have often observed her readiness to celebrate their accomplishments rather than her own. Given her personal investment in her students, it is no surprise that one colleague remarked that her students routinely call her “one of the best teachers they have ever had.”