The WRD department and WRD Blog extends its congratulations to this year’s recipient of the second annual First-Year Writing Excellence in Teaching Award: Nancy LaFever!
Faculty who had taught one of the first-year writing sections (WRD 102, WRD 102x, WRD 103, WRD 103x, WRD 104, or WRD 104x) between Spring 2019 and Winter 2020 could be nominated by a student. The goal was for students to nominate faculty that had impacted their writing in a significant way.
Nancy LeFever began teaching at DePaul in 1997, after completing both her BA and MA also at DePaul. She shared that her “relationship with DePaul started over 30 years ago when I decided, as an adult, to complete my undergraduate degree after a ten year hiatus.” Her first class at DePaul was Composition & Style with Dr. Jerald Mulderig, an experience she recalls as an “intellectual reawakening.”
Nancy received multiple student nominations for the FYW Excellence in Teaching Award. WRD Instructor Lydia Saravia, one of the FYW Teaching Award Subcommittee members, said that in the selection process, the committee was looking for nominations that exemplified significant impact on student writing, assignments that encouraged “critical development,” as well as for instructors who build confidence in their students writing abilities.
“All nominations nominating Nancy were from students who had her multiple times (103 and 104),” Lydia shared. “All [of the] nominationstalked about the ways in which Nancy created writing activities that allowed students to grow as writers and readers.”
Nancy shared that she really enjoys working with students across sections from quarter to quarter. Having students in WRD 103 and then WRD 104 lets her and the students “pick up right where we left off in the previous class,” she said. “I know their strengths, and I know how to motivate them. And they are already comfortable with my methods and expectations. It’s an ideal learning environment.”
Nancy received multiple nominations from students who praised her teaching and mentoring, noting the many ways in which their work with Nancy has enabled them to grow as writers and to further develop and expand the literacy practices they’ll need in both academic and non-academic contexts. This praise comes as no surprise to FYW admin and other instructors who have long appreciated Nancy’s kindness, dedication, and willingness to share her knowledge with others.
Erin Workman | Director of First-Year Writing
Many student nominations focused on the assignments used in Nancy’s class, the value of Nancy’s feedback on their work, reflection on their own writing and literacy practices, as well as the benefits of peer review. Nancy shared that she tries to establish and foster a strong sense of community in her classroom that, like the work students complete during the quarter, has a lasting impact beyond DePaul.
“A few years ago I was at a conference where I ran into two former students who became friends in my WRD 103 class,” Nancy shared. “They had been part of the same peer review group, and then that relationship expanded beyond WRD, beyond DePaul, and into their adult lives. Students can feel extremely vulnerable sharing their writing with each other at first It takes courage and honesty to move the group forward, but it’s rewarding to watch and listen as the group members evolve from making hesitant suggestions to making bold, encouraging remarks.”
Nancy’s receiving of this award is well-deserved, and her dedication to students and student writing is both evident in nominations received and in the way she speaks of, works with, and hopes for her students.
“I hope students leave my class with a sense of playfulness and wonder. I hope they continue to take risks and experiment with style, and I hope they never fall out of love with the written word.”