NEW TA Q&A
Author: lskramer
Geneva Toland, M.F.A., CWE & Wren Bouwman, Ph.D., ALT
- What do you wish your students knew about you?
Wren: I actually really love when they ask me questions about Iowa State or for help navigating student life.
Geneva: I am trained as an outdoor, nature-based educator so I am always looking for ways to incorporate nature and the environment into my teaching.
- What one word would your students use to describe you?
Wren: Quirky
Geneva: Kind
- What’s something your students have taught you this semester?
Wren: I haven’t taught this semester yet, so I don’t have an answer. But every semester I learn my slang is more and more out of date.
Geneva: This is my first semester teaching an ISUComm Foundation course, so I’m excited to see what I learn from my students!
- What one teaching tool will we always find you with?
Wren: Gifs! I find pop culture references are easy ways to make concepts memorable.
Geneva: Class lists! I always want to make sure I know my students’ names.
- If you could share one sentence of advice with newer teachers, what would it be?
Wren: Your mistakes aren’t obvious to your students – they need you to be engaged, not perfect.
Geneva: Sometimes just caring about students and being interested and invested in them as a person is the most important part of teaching.
- What’s something you are passionate about (outside of ISUCOMM)?
Wren: I really love musical theatre.
Geneva: I love growing food, and work at a local farm here in Ames called Mustard Seed Community Farm.
- What has been your favorite assignment to teach in ENGL 150 or 250/what are you excited to teach in ENGL 150 or 250?
Wren: I haven’t taught yet, but I’m excited to see what students come up with for the Multimodal Design Remix in 150.
Geneva: I’m excited to teach the Personal Narrative unit. I think writing about yourself is probably one of the hardest things to do in writing, but also one of the most potentially transformative.
- What is your most frequently used emoji?
Wren: 
Geneva: The one with the big eyes for when something is so cute you just can’t handle it! (for all the animal videos I find on social media)
- If you had your own late-night talk show, who would you invite as your first guest?
Wren: Rachel Maksy (Vintage/Cosplay YouTuber)
- If you had to sing karaoke, what song would you pick?
Wren: “Cabaret” (from the musical Cabaret)!
Geneva: I think about this question all the time! Right now, I would say a 90s throwback like 3AM by Matchbox Twenty and What’s Up by 4 Non Blondes.