Kathy
Wiejaczka
May 2022
Kathy
Wiejaczka
,
RN, PhD
Northern Kentucky University School of Nursing
Highland Heights
,
KY
United States
Professor Kathy is a wealth of knowledge that inspires me to work harder in my assignments in order to understand the content as well as she does.
When looking at the criteria for the DAISY Award, Professor Kathy Wiejaczka came to mind right away. Although I have never met Professor Kathy in person, my online classes with her have shown me how she exemplifies each of the criteria for this award.
Criteria 1: Serves as a role model of professional nursing for faculty and students. Professor Kathy is a role model to her students by embracing the characteristics of an extraordinary nurse, learner, and teacher. As an extraordinary nurse, nursing students and faculty alike can gain understanding from Professor Kathy’s varied and vast experience as a pediatric and obstetrics nurse, home care nurse, special needs student coordinator, college professor, course developer, and published author. As a learner, Professor Kathy has exemplified a spirit of continuous learning and willingness to grow her students. Professor Kathy has tackled being a student herself through her undergraduate and graduate work and continues to learn by embracing new technology and ideas that help her students learn and engage better.
This semester, Professor Kathy is using new video technology in her online class because she said it was recommended to help better engage online students. Changing technology and methods of teaching is usually not a smooth and easy transition, but Professor Kathy is working through the difficulties to find new ways to engage her online students. This is just one example of the ways Professor Kathy can be a role model of a good learner to her students.
As a teacher, Professor Kathy is everything a student could ask for. She is informed on her material and provides useful, specific resources for study. Professor Kathy answers questions quickly and effectively, but questions are rarely needed as her material and assignments are straightforward and can immediately be used in everyday nursing experiences. Her teaching style encourages a thorough understanding of the material, and she frequently provides mid-week tips that clarify the assignment you have been working on. Professor Kathy also assigns reasonable reading assignments that allow the student to actually focus and learn from the chapter or two assigned as opposed to some classes which assign hundreds of pages of reading that cause the reader to merely skim the content or skip it altogether. Professor Kathy’s example as an extraordinary nurse, learner, and teacher is a role model to me as I prepare to be a nurse educator.
Criteria 2: Promotes the advancement of the art and science of nursing. I have taken two classes with Professor Kathy thus far, and both have stimulated me to further my knowledge and love for nursing. Professor Kathy promotes the advancement of the art of nursing by occasionally providing real-life tips on how to better teach students or care for patients. In my curriculum development class with her, Professor Kathy concluded each chapter with a story from herself or a friend on how the content just covered was put to action. It sometimes noted where problems arose in the application. This information was useful in allowing me to see how I can learn from her experiences instead of making the mistakes myself. In promoting the science of nursing, Professor Kathy requires thorough work for each assignment and requires scholarly sources to keep the content evidence-based.
Criteria 3: Demonstrates enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and nursing that inspires and motivates students. I love Professor Kathy’s mid-week tips that motivate me to understand the material in a deeper and clearer context. Professor Kathy is a wealth of knowledge that inspires me to work harder in my assignments in order to understand the content as well as she does.
Criteria 4: Exhibits a personal and professional commitment to Northern Kentucky University Nursing Programs. I’m not sure how long Professor Kathy has been an instructor at NKU, but I know that her commitment to her students and their success speaks a lot about her commitment to NKU’s nursing program.
Criteria 5: Demonstrates compassion for patients, faculty, and students. Professor Kathy demonstrates care to her students by pushing them to do their best while still being conscious of life circumstances and how they affect students’ school time. She makes her students aware that she is willing to adapt to extenuating circumstances, and I’ve been able to see this from my own experience. When I knew I had a hectic week of family responsibilities coming up for my first week of spring classes, Professor Kathy was willing to open the course a few days early for me to get some of the work done ahead of time as opposed to having to do late or shoddy work the following week that the course actually starting.
Criteria 6: Is fair and unbiased in his/her treatment of individual students. Professor Kathy is consistent in her opportunities to help students and make exceptions. She is fair in her grading and provides a thorough rubric for students to have the opportunity to get their best grades on each assignment.
Criteria 7: Mentors colleagues and students. Professor Kathy works with students to give them all the tools to succeed in the classroom as well as on the job.
Criteria 8: Demonstrates interest in and respect for students. Professor Kathy takes an interest in knowing more about each student than what their name and degree are. I appreciated that she asked us to be sure to put our picture on the Canvas platform so that we could associate the assignments with the face on the other end. She asked us about our interests in our initial introduction post which shows her interest in our priorities and dreams. Professor Kathy shows respect to her students in her class preparation, her response time, her tone of writing, and her attention to detail. One of the things I appreciate most about Professor Kathy is her humility in the classroom. While some teachers put on airs (that can be felt even over the online format), Professor Kathy is humble, practical, and down to earth in her teaching, despite her extensive knowledge and experience.
I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to learn from Professor Kathy, and I hope you will consider her for this award. She has exemplified these eight criteria of an extraordinary faculty member, and although I may never meet her in person, I will take the skills she has taught me with me throughout my life and career.
Criteria 1: Serves as a role model of professional nursing for faculty and students. Professor Kathy is a role model to her students by embracing the characteristics of an extraordinary nurse, learner, and teacher. As an extraordinary nurse, nursing students and faculty alike can gain understanding from Professor Kathy’s varied and vast experience as a pediatric and obstetrics nurse, home care nurse, special needs student coordinator, college professor, course developer, and published author. As a learner, Professor Kathy has exemplified a spirit of continuous learning and willingness to grow her students. Professor Kathy has tackled being a student herself through her undergraduate and graduate work and continues to learn by embracing new technology and ideas that help her students learn and engage better.
This semester, Professor Kathy is using new video technology in her online class because she said it was recommended to help better engage online students. Changing technology and methods of teaching is usually not a smooth and easy transition, but Professor Kathy is working through the difficulties to find new ways to engage her online students. This is just one example of the ways Professor Kathy can be a role model of a good learner to her students.
As a teacher, Professor Kathy is everything a student could ask for. She is informed on her material and provides useful, specific resources for study. Professor Kathy answers questions quickly and effectively, but questions are rarely needed as her material and assignments are straightforward and can immediately be used in everyday nursing experiences. Her teaching style encourages a thorough understanding of the material, and she frequently provides mid-week tips that clarify the assignment you have been working on. Professor Kathy also assigns reasonable reading assignments that allow the student to actually focus and learn from the chapter or two assigned as opposed to some classes which assign hundreds of pages of reading that cause the reader to merely skim the content or skip it altogether. Professor Kathy’s example as an extraordinary nurse, learner, and teacher is a role model to me as I prepare to be a nurse educator.
Criteria 2: Promotes the advancement of the art and science of nursing. I have taken two classes with Professor Kathy thus far, and both have stimulated me to further my knowledge and love for nursing. Professor Kathy promotes the advancement of the art of nursing by occasionally providing real-life tips on how to better teach students or care for patients. In my curriculum development class with her, Professor Kathy concluded each chapter with a story from herself or a friend on how the content just covered was put to action. It sometimes noted where problems arose in the application. This information was useful in allowing me to see how I can learn from her experiences instead of making the mistakes myself. In promoting the science of nursing, Professor Kathy requires thorough work for each assignment and requires scholarly sources to keep the content evidence-based.
Criteria 3: Demonstrates enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and nursing that inspires and motivates students. I love Professor Kathy’s mid-week tips that motivate me to understand the material in a deeper and clearer context. Professor Kathy is a wealth of knowledge that inspires me to work harder in my assignments in order to understand the content as well as she does.
Criteria 4: Exhibits a personal and professional commitment to Northern Kentucky University Nursing Programs. I’m not sure how long Professor Kathy has been an instructor at NKU, but I know that her commitment to her students and their success speaks a lot about her commitment to NKU’s nursing program.
Criteria 5: Demonstrates compassion for patients, faculty, and students. Professor Kathy demonstrates care to her students by pushing them to do their best while still being conscious of life circumstances and how they affect students’ school time. She makes her students aware that she is willing to adapt to extenuating circumstances, and I’ve been able to see this from my own experience. When I knew I had a hectic week of family responsibilities coming up for my first week of spring classes, Professor Kathy was willing to open the course a few days early for me to get some of the work done ahead of time as opposed to having to do late or shoddy work the following week that the course actually starting.
Criteria 6: Is fair and unbiased in his/her treatment of individual students. Professor Kathy is consistent in her opportunities to help students and make exceptions. She is fair in her grading and provides a thorough rubric for students to have the opportunity to get their best grades on each assignment.
Criteria 7: Mentors colleagues and students. Professor Kathy works with students to give them all the tools to succeed in the classroom as well as on the job.
Criteria 8: Demonstrates interest in and respect for students. Professor Kathy takes an interest in knowing more about each student than what their name and degree are. I appreciated that she asked us to be sure to put our picture on the Canvas platform so that we could associate the assignments with the face on the other end. She asked us about our interests in our initial introduction post which shows her interest in our priorities and dreams. Professor Kathy shows respect to her students in her class preparation, her response time, her tone of writing, and her attention to detail. One of the things I appreciate most about Professor Kathy is her humility in the classroom. While some teachers put on airs (that can be felt even over the online format), Professor Kathy is humble, practical, and down to earth in her teaching, despite her extensive knowledge and experience.
I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to learn from Professor Kathy, and I hope you will consider her for this award. She has exemplified these eight criteria of an extraordinary faculty member, and although I may never meet her in person, I will take the skills she has taught me with me throughout my life and career.