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Many teachers use Desire2Learn only to post assignments, grades, and materials from the syllables, but English Professor Melanie Lewis also uses it to joke with her students. She gives "koodles" for excellent class participation and teases them for poor participation on the announcement board of D2L.
But her students say the main excitement is within the classroom. She comes to class with so much energy and begins each section with smiles, stories and jokes, they say. She never forgets to highlight them on her previous day, and she is always eager to hear about theirs. To settle the class from the laughter, she says some of her usual words: "Alright guys, we have a lot to cover today, so let's begin." Her classroom is very relatable, they say.
"I'm much more open in this class," says Matthew Smith, 23, a history major. "You don't have to worry about saying the wrong thing. I mean, it's easy to participate."
Lewis graduated with a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley in 1991. Immediately after she obtained her undergraduate degree, she enrolled at Simmons College where she graduated with her Masters in English in 1994. In 1998, she completed her doctorate degree in Education from the University of San Francisco.
Lewis says she has always been motivated by her passion for higher education and dedication for achieving her life goals. She says her parents principles of education have also motivated her to achieve all that she has.
During her leisure time, Lewis enjoys sleeping, reading, watching informative television programming, spending time with her friends, playing piano, practicing golf and a whole lot more that she takes pleasure from.
She says she uses the advice of her parents to try to experience happiness every day and to keep herself happy.
"My parents say, every day above ground is a good day!--really puts life into perspective, so I try to experience happiness every day, not later or someday or in the future when X, Y, or Z happens, but right now, presently "says Lewis.
Her students and colleagues say she has a great sense of humor and personality that makes working with her fun.
"Working with Dr. Lewis is a pleasure," says English Professor Constance Carter. "She is a brilliant scholar who knows her material quite well. She is generous with time and she has a great sense of humor too."
Smith says he thinks Lewis is aware of her sense of humor, and that's why she's not afraid to share with her students. "She's aware that's she's funny, and she's not afraid to share with her students."
Lewis says she that she has a passion for teaching and takes it very seriously. Some of her students say her essay topics are quite different from other English classes.
"This class is not like a normal English class," says Ashley Lansburgh, a 19-year-old chemistry major. "The topics are different, and they make you think about the world."
At the moment, Lewis' main challenge is finding the balance between career, family, friends, friends, church, communities, and "some alone time to decompress."
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