A teacher is an individual who has a passion to share their knowledge and experiences with others, so that they might build the foundations for generations of future success.  The best teachers are those that can help their students create connections with the other areas of their lives.  Developmental Reading Faculty Member, Ruth Foster is a reflection of these attributes and because of this is featured in CCC’S May faculty profile. “ Connections,  connections, patterns, patterns,”  is Foster’s motto, as she tries to help students  develop stronger bonds between the knowledge they gain in the classroom and the experiences they have in their daily lives.  This application to the real world, Foster believes is the major key to success.  Her love for teaching is eminent in her ability to create successful students.

“I love the constant ability to be creative, and have that creativity to help students have fun and succeed,” says Foster. “If we weren’t all having fun, why do it.”

Foster is a team player and is constantly trying to better her efforts in her own teaching and the way the rest of the department teaches.  Most recently due to a wide consensus from her students, Foster has been diligently working to write a textbook, to help students learn better.  The name is still being revamped, but she believes that it will be called, Demystifying College Reading, Thinking & Learning.  Each section will be specifically tailored to better suit the needs of college students.  There will be a section on reading strategies to help students with reading their many college textbooks, teaching them how to create sound and meaning to words, phrases, and sentences they don’t know.  To picture what they are reading in their heads, and be able to make educated guesses to sections they don’t understand as well as other helpful strategies that students can use.

Other sections will consist of the steps of critical thinking, how our memories best operate to retain vital information, and how to create the strong bonds that will connect what is learned to what is part of our daily lives.  Her goal is to maximize the benefits of all aspects of student learning through this textbook and through the new developments she has dedicated her time to with the whole comprehensive reading program.  Foster is not alone in these new developments she has a whole team that works with her, which includes the chair of the department, an assessment team, the dean, the English department, etc.

In her free time she enjoys hiking and taking her dogs out in the woods next to her cozy home, but her dedication to teaching and helping others often leaves her little time for leisure.  Congratulations to Foster for her enthusiasm, dedication and hard work.  Keep your eyes open for her new textbook, which will hopefully be available sometime soon.