Contact
| Dept: | English |
| Email: | nbaltz@iastate.edu |
| Office: | Ross 409 Ames IA 50011-1054 |
Bio
Courses I am Teaching
Engl 150 Critical Thinking and Composition
Engl 250 Written, Oral, Visual, & Electronic Composition
Engl 302 Business Communication
Degrees
M.A. Iowa State University • English Literature
B.A. Iowa State University • English
About My Teaching
When teaching, I take a student-centered approach. Students learn best when they take charge of their own learning and I structure my classroom so that this activity can take place. In place of the traditional lecture, I encourage student discussion, both as a large group as well as in small group activities. Also, because students learn best when they are teaching their peers, I incorporate activities such as peer response and group presentations of information into my courses.
My primary goal when instructing a group of students is that they acquire long-term skills that can be put to use in both later classes as well as in a professional setting. At Iowa State University, the acronym WOVE is incorporated into our communication classes. This acronym stands for the written, oral, visual, and electronic modes of communication. In discussing the different modes of communication, I am able to demonstrate to students how skills acquired in First Year Composition (or any class that incorporates the ideas behind WOVE) will be useful later in life.
How I came to Composition and Business Communication
I started working on my Masters degree in Literature and was hired to be a Teaching Assistant within the English Department here at Iowa State. Throughout my schooling, I fell in love with literature and how the words created worlds vastly different than my current life. While in the classroom and reflecting on my practices that first semester as a TA, I realize that it was the instructors I had along the way that helped those words come alive. Those instructors inspired me to switch my major from journalism to English and then eventually continue on the graduate school. I aspired to be that inspiration for my students and fell in love with teaching. I have taken further graduate classes in education in order to continue working to be the best instructor I can be.
Outside of the University
I love spending time with my two young sons, who are my pride and joy. I also enjoy reading and writing. I am currently working on a memoir-type piece.