I received my undergraduate degree at Penn, so, prior to my teaching, I understood the important role of the Teaching Assistant in the Penn undergraduate education. The first Teaching Assistant that I had sparked my love for anthropology, and she was partially responsible for my decision to stay at Penn and pursue a Ph.D. in anthropology. With this experience, I approached my first semester of teaching at Penn in the fall of 2003.

I still remember feeling the emotions of excitement, fear, and challenge. Most of my fears came from the concern that my noticeably foreign accent would establish communicative and social barriers between me and my students. I proved to be so wrong. My students found my accent unique, beautiful, and understandable, and they never stopped enquiring about its origin. This revealing idiosyncrasy framed my teaching philosophy. While many Teaching Assistants often worry about how to balance congeniality and professionalism, from the very first moment I started to teach, I had no choice but to combine the two.

Encouraged by my students’ interest in both anthropology and my life history, I learned how to successfully intertwine research and relevant personal biography, making for intense discussion of class material. Students often mention to me how much they value my ability to relate complex anthropological concepts such as theories of nationalism, forced migration, and ethnic conflict to my personal experiences of the Bosnian war.

More concretely, my pedagogical techniques are well-received. I spend much time on each student. I learn all of my students’ names during the first week of class. I meet with them individually in order to get to know them better and to encourage them to express their ideas in class. I advise them on their paper topics and individual projects. Also, we discuss ways in which they can apply their knowledge to other classes and life outside of Penn. I make sure that each recitation section is composed of diverse pedagogical methods, such as small group discussions, presentations, question/answer periods, debates, and lecturing. I also organize visits to places in the city that are related to the topics covered in class— such as theatre, museums, and ethnic food restaurants. Finally, I use humor in my teaching. I learned from experience that students think and talk more freely when we use humor in our discussions.

In conclusion, I love to teach. I feel energized when around my students and their creative thoughts. For this reason, I volunteered to be a Teaching Assistant next year, even though I fulfilled my teaching requirements. I am honored that my passion for teaching is recognized by the Penn undergraduates.