By Faith Boyum
Managing Editor
Faith.Boyum5336@mb.rctc.edu
Every year RCTC honors two full-time instructors and one adjunct instructor with the Outstanding Educator Award. This year, biology instructor Jaime Tjossem was one of the two full-time instructors to receive the award.
Jaime Tjossem
“I’ve always thought I was a good teacher, and this kind of helps to validate that,” she said.
Tjossem, who has taught biology at RCTC for a number of years, said that she has some colleagues who have been awarded the Outstanding Educator Award and that it is an honor to be a part of that group.
To win this prestigious award, it takes dedication and a love for teaching. Tjossem believes that her attitude toward teaching is partly why she was nominated. She chose the profession of teaching because she loves biology and interacting with people.
“Every semester, I have over 100 new students, and that’s new personalities, new attitudes. That’s new people of diverse backgrounds I get to meet, and that is what makes my job year after year fun and exciting.”
She also often shares personal stories with her students because she wants to help them see that they can succeed. Many of the students may have obstacles that they are struggling to overcome, and Tjossem views herself as both a role model and a mentor to them. The more her students connect with her, the more engaged they will be, and thus, more invested in learning.
Though she is honored and validated by this nomination, to her, it is also a charge.
“It’s not going to change the way I do things,” she said. “I’m still going to do what I do in the classroom. In fact, it probably makes me want to work harder and be even better in the classroom than what I currently am.”