Professor Saikin: The Background of an Educator

I received a Masters degree in History from the University of Texas at Tyler, where I was a member of Phi Alpha Theta. I have a strong organizational background and am eager to bring my skills to your school. As a college lecturer with the University of Texas at Tyler and McLennan Community College, I gained extensive classroom experience by interacting with a diverse range of students. My courses emphasize the importance of learning how to synthesize information through exercises designed to improve my students’ ability to communicate clearly and concisely. I incorporate multimodal techniques designed to facilitate an active learning environment. As a lecturer, I prepared and conducted classroom activities and lectures, evaluated student progress, and traveled to local high schools to teach dual credit students. In addition to my classroom duties, I challenge my students to think critically and appreciate the beauty and diversity of mankind. On a daily basis, I interacted with energetic students ready to gain the knowledge needed to become successful and contributing citizens. I worked to invigorate students who may have needed additional encouragement by providing additional mentorship outside the classroom. I care deeply for the success of my students and seek to propel them toward a bright future by applying pedagogical techniques tailored to their needs. I have also made intellectual contributions to the academic community. In January 2014, I presented a paper at the Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Conference in Albuquerque, NM. My research, “Behind The Pine Curtain: The Politics of Homosexual Injustices and Reparations in Texas-” examined the murder of Nicholas West in Tyler, Texas and the reaction of the local community and government. In addition to my interest in local historical events, I find subaltern studies to be a fascinating area of history and tend to focus students’ attention to how history is perceived in different societies and cultures. For example, when I cover Revolutionary America, I discuss how the British perspective on colonial affairs differed from that of early Americans, and how this difference influenced the founding of the Republic. I also encourage my students to see history through the eyes of an economist. My lecturers emphasize how individual choices are driven by financial or commercial incentives. The conseque