Lindy Ledohowski (BEd 2000, MA 2003, PhD 2008) speaks to Sharon Aschaiek:
After I completed my master’s degree in English, Prof. Russell Brown told me U of T Scarborough was seeking an instructor for a new course on critical thinking about poetry. The course would launch the following academic year, when I would start my doctoral degree in English-Canadian literature – so I jumped at the opportunity.
The English department chair resisted the idea – she was skeptical that a first-year doctoral candidate could take courses, apply for grants and fellowships, prepare for exams and teach a course. She thought it would be setting me up to fail. Brown went to bat for me, confident I could handle it.
I got the job, and I ended up teaching that course eight times over three years. I also helped develop a course on critical writing about literature, and created two teaching manuals. In that first year at UTSC, I even won a teaching award.
It meant a lot having Brown – who would become my doctoral supervisor – and the English department chair look out for my best interests. Also, my pedagogical experience at UTSC heavily influenced the development of EssayJack, the web platform I co-created for helping students write better essays. As an entrepreneur, I have a strong sense of resilience, which I developed at U of T – I learned if I found myself in a demanding situation, I could rise to the challenge.
Recent Posts
Hyperloop Explained
A new transportation technology could zip you from Toronto to Montreal in 45 minutes. We took a peek under the hood
To Make Cities Sustainable, We Need to Rethink Almost Everything
For years, we’ve been told to lower the thermostat and drive less. It hasn’t worked
Building Better Cities
How a global hub of urban thinkers could bring tangible improvements to the lives of millions of people
