Holly Falzo

I have been teaching IHCOMM 171- Public Speaking at Keene State quite steadily since 1993, and have been teaching through the Aspire LINKS Program since 2012. In addition to working at Keene State, I am a certified English Teacher in the state of Vermont, and teach fulltime in the Alternative Education Program at Bellows Falls Union High School. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary English from Trinity College of Vermont, as well as a Masters of Arts for Teachers of English and other credits from Keene State College and other intuitions. I strongly believe my practical classroom experience benefits my students at Keene State greatly. As a graduate of Keene State, I know what the school has to offer its students. Not only did I get my Master’s degree at KSC, but my son is a KSC graduate as well As an educator, I am constantly working to improve not only myself, but my skills. At the end of each semester, I anxiously await my student evaluations, so I can reflect on the semester and make needed adjustments. I value the feedback that I get from my students. As someone who has been in education for over 35 years, I believe I work hard to treat each student fairly and to help each student see success. I offer help and resources to all of my students, especially to those who seem to be struggling. In addition to offering my support, I refer students to outside resources such as ASPIRE/ TRIO, the Health Center, the Writing Center to name a few. I try to not only make the time in my class an educational experience for my students but a life experience as well. I bring my own experience as an educator, adult, student, and mother, into the classroom to help them get the most out of the time spent with me. I work hard to prepare my students for the real world and life after college, not only through the subject matter I teach but through personal experiences. Through my time in education, I have been fortunate enough to have a wide variety of teaching experiences. Every day, through my role as an educator, I work hard to get to know my students and to get an understanding of their skills and comfort in the classroom. I also work to make students feel comfortable as they develop their public speaking skills, and I encourage them to take risks in my classroom and reach outside their comfort zones.
Over the years, I have developed a firm belief that although coverage of material is crucial, it's more important to teach students life skills than content. Whether I am in front of a class lecturing on the essentials of a well-organized speech, or working one-on-one with a student to help him/her polish an outline, I work hard to connect that moment to how they will use these skills in their lives when they walk out of my classroom. I believe that instructors are not the single source of knowledge in the classroom; it is an instructor’s job to engage students in the content and help them to be active learners who can go and use the skills and teach others. I work hard to develop critical thinking skills and help students figure things out on their own, because that is what the “real world” is expecting of them. An important element in education is the development of independent learning skills. I consciously get students involved in making choices in my class through editing, topic selection, etc. I also help them set goals for improvement as the semester progresses, which leads to skill development. Students are given continuous opportunities for self-monitoring, and goal setting with the oral and written feedback that they receive in my class. Multiple collaborative opportunities are provided as students work to polish their skills. I encourage students to reflect on and take ownership of their learning. Not all students respond to this challenge, but if I can spark a little bit of their analysis skills and help them grow as listeners, speakers and independent learners in my classroom, I feel that I have contributed to their life in a positive way. I enjoy teaching at KSC; I enjoy “molding” my students. I firmly believe that KSC is one of the best colleges in New England, if not in the country, and it has so much to offer to its students.