ACUE Focus: Camille Wood

More than 110 UA - Pulaski Technical College faculty have improved their teaching practices through a program with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). This rigorous, evidence based, 25-week course engages instructors with independently validated research to improve student achievement and close equity gaps. ACUE Focus is a question and answer series where faculty share their experiences with ACUE.

Camille Wood
Visiting Instructor of English, Department of Languages and Communication
Education: M.A. English Literature

1. What ACUE Cohort were you a part of?

UA-PTC Cohort Class of 2021

2. What do you teach and how do you think you benefited from the ACUE course?

I teach composition and literature. ACUE is great for rookies and seasoned teachers alike because it recognizes that though our teaching methods may be different, a deep dive into pedagogy and effective teaching practices can be universally helpful.

3. Best thing you learned from ACUE?

My most noted take-away from ACUE is how much exemplars, modeling behavior, and sample writing matter to student success. With these ideas, I have had better results from students which, I believe, has led to significant retention in an already tense semester. I have folded these ideas into my courses and plan to do even more so this spring!

4. Do you think your students benefited from you taking the ACUE course and if so, how?

Yes! Again, I have built more exemplars and sample writing into my curriculum, which students love because it gives them a baseline from which to start. I have also provided more time for pre-writing exercises, peer review, and scaffolded writing to help each student be their personal best self.

5. What was your favorite module in ACUE?

I really enjoyed modules AL5 and AL6, which focused on promoting and facilitating effective and engaging classroom discussion. After the long quarantine, I found I had to re-learn a lot of social skills, so this module helped immensely!