Teaching
As of spring of 2024, I am teaching my third term of Sociology 101 (Sociological Perspectives). Teaching has quickly become a passion, as I find it deeply fulfilling to demonstrate to undergrad students that thinking sociologically is useful not only in our discipline, but across majors, in the workforce, and in our personal lives. For example, in exploring concepts related to the tension between structure and agency, I seek to strengthen the three "C's" -- compassion, curiosity, and critical thinking -- which will serve students well across domains of their lives.
My 101 course is designed specifically to allow students to demonstrate growth. Students work all term long on a practice research proposal exploring a question of their choice, broken down into smaller sub-assignments. The purpose of this design is three-fold: 1) it allows students to explore an area of special interest to them, 2) it reinforces to students that sociology is a social science, and 3) it allows them to receive and incorporate feedback from me and their peers as they go.
Recognizing that students have unique learning styles, I intentionally use multiple methods of content delivery, including interactive lectures, small group discussions, review games, practice quizzes, and video clips illuminating sociological concepts. I work from the assumption that all students want to learn and grow, and that each student already comes to the course with valuable knowledge and perspectives to share.
Student Feedback
Instructor of Record: SOCI 101
"Anna is very organized with assignments and easy to talk to. The work is reasonable and easy to follow. I liked how she used different teaching methods to keep the class interesting. This was my favorite class; I always felt good in my understanding when I left. Anna is one of the best instructors here on campus. Her care for the course and students is amazing."
"Professor Anna Shelton–Ormond was extremely forthcoming of the expectations of the course and provided the resources needed in order to excel in the class. She was extremely welcoming to all proficiency level of sociology prior to the class and was willingly to work extra hard to help students succeed."
"As a senior, Prof Shelton–Ormond is easily one of the best professors I have had the privilege to learn from. She is kind, makes class fun, and is very understanding. Our class was really quiet but her personality did not waiver! Had I been exposed to this course sooner, I seriously would have considered a second major in sociology. She pushes students to learn but is not too hard to the point of stressing out students. I have learned so much! Her ability to interact and lecture is better than most professors who have been doing this for a long time."
"Professor SO was truly the best teacher I had my first semester of freshman year. I learned more and retained more in this class than I have ever done in my other classes. She provided us with all the resources we needed. I would recommend this class to any student, regardless of their interest for sociology."
"Professor Shelton–Ormond was extremely understanding of students and made an effort to connect with us on a personal level. She learned everyones names in class, played music before class to establish a relaxing environment, and was never afraid to share her personal anecdotes to provide examples of sociological concepts. She provided in– depth feedback quickly on our assignments and was always very encouraging. She budgeted class periods for review sessions before exams and planned small group activities for us to explore sociological topics on our own. All around, she created a learning environment that was effective, encouraging, and fun to be in."
"Anna came to every class with a well–prepared and clear lesson plan. She had multiple formats of activities (lectures, large class discussion, small group discussion, PollEv, videos) that helped students engage with course concepts differently. She treated every student with respect and heard out everyone's contributions, relating them back to course concepts no matter how off topic we would get. I also appreciate how willing she was to talk to students after class about course material as well as answer questions related to sociology and research in general. Amazing instructor! 10/10 would recommend her to anyone with any interest in sociology."
"Anna Shelton–Ormond was an excellent teacher and made everyone feel comfortable. I am not usually the type of person to answer questions and speak a lot in class, but I felt very conformable to do this in her class. Class time was educational but engaging, and I always found myself looking forward to this class."
"She was my favorite professor this semester! She offered a variety of opportunities to reflect on your learning and practice for upcoming quizzes and the final paper. All of the assignments leading up to the final paper allowed for students to incorporate feedback from her and our peers, as well as learn from mistakes or how to conduct the research in the paper and apply course concepts."
"I really liked this class a lot. I initially registered because I needed another class, but I ended up registering for another sociology class next semester and I found myself a lot more interested in topics that I never had thought about before."
Teaching Assistant: Guest Lecture on Qualitative Methods in SOCI 251 (Spring 2023)
"Anna taught at a well pace, kept us all interactive, and made the material interesting to learn about!"
"She made everything super clear and was great at answering questions"
"The energy and enthusiasm brought to the lecture made it easy and compelling to listen to."
"I was unsure on how to [build an interview guide] before the lecture and it offered a lot of clarity."
Courses: Instructor of Record and Teaching Assistant
Instructor of Record ("Teaching Fellow")
Spring 2024: SOCI 101 (Sociological Perspectives)
Fall 2023: SOCI 101 (Sociological Perspectives)
Summer 2023: SOCI 101 (Sociological Perspectives)
Teaching Assistant
Spring 2023: SOCI 251 (Data Collection Methods)
Fall 2022: SOCI 180 (Global Population Health)
Spring 2022: SOCI 101 (Sociological Perspectives)
Fall 2021: SOCI 130 (Marriage and Family)
Spring 2021: SOCI 122 (Race and Ethnicity)
Fall 2020: SOCI 122 (Race and Ethnicity)