Thompson Tells Students Their 'Voice is Valuable'
MY
NAME IS . . .
Dr. Becky Louise Thompson
I’VE BEEN TEACHING AT NGU SINCE . . .
2002
MY JOB IS . . .
the coordinator for English language arts secondary education and the coordinator for freshman English and sophomore literature. And then, of course, I teach. But most of all, I’m almost like a counselor. I can get students from all majors, and it gives me an opportunity to teach them to be good communicators. I want to teach them that their voice is valuable.
WHEN I’M NOT GRADING PAPERS . . .
a lot of it is reading! I do know it seems very typical. I’d like to say, “Oh, I love waterskiing!” Or, I don’t know, “Oh, I make cornhusk dolls!” (I don’t know where that just came from. See, I’m already known for the weird dolls and puppets, but if I knew how to make cornhusk dolls, I could make all my own dolls.)
INTERESTING PLACES I’VE TRAVELLED TO ARE . . .
all of the author homes I’ve visited, from Connecticut with Mark Twain’s house to Stephen King’s house in Maine.
MY FAVORITE AUTHOR IS . . .
Oh, my stars! [It] would have to be Emily Dickinson.
ONE OF MY FUN CLASSROOM TRADITIONS IS . . .
I always take pictures of my classes. Teaching is my ministry. And in those three or four months, that’s my chance to make an impact. I take the picture because I would love to think that, when a student leaves my classroom, he or she is different because of knowing me — not just because of me, but seeing Christ in me. And I want to have a memento of sorts.
I KNEW I WANTED TO BE A COLLEGE PROFESSOR WHEN . . .
I never thought about teaching college until I actually did it as a grad assistant. But I do love teaching college, and I know it’s a calling. College students are inquisitive, and they’re finding their voice. And it’s such a rewarding experience to witness them figuring out who they are.
MY TEACHING MOTTO IS . . .
I pray that I see each one, I listen to each one, I recognize each one.
I THINK MY SUBJECT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE . . .
we as humans are made up of words.
I DECIDED TO JOIN THE NGU FAMILY BECAUSE . . .
God uprooted me. It was the only time in my life I really didn’t know what I was going to do. When I left Northland — it’s in the Upper Peninsula of Wisconsin — it’s a beautiful place: mountains, forests, and deer everywhere. And when I left, I was crying and crying, and my sister wanted to know why. And I said, “I’m never going to teach anywhere beautiful again.” And it wasn’t even two weeks later that I was driving to Tigerville for the first time. I got out of my car, and I immediately looked towards those mountains. Even before I’d spoken to a person, I knew this was where I was going to be.
THE TITLE OF MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY WOULD BE . . .
“Even Though You’re Not Listening, I’m Still Talking.”
MY FAVORITE PART OF TEACHING IS . . .
It’s remarkable that I get paid to read books that I already want to read and talk about authors that I already want to talk about, but it’s all about the students.
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