Education in the USA What are schools for? What makes education in a democracy unique? What counts as evidence of that uniqueness? What roles do schools play in educating citizens in a democracy for a democracy? In this course, we will engage these questions while investigating education as a social, cultural, political, and economic process. We will develop new understandings of current policy disputes regarding a broad range or educational issues by examining the familiar through different ideological and disciplinary lenses.

Education in the USA What are schools for? What makes education in a democracy unique? What counts as evidence of that uniqueness? What roles do schools play in educating citizens in a democracy for a democracy? In this course, we will engage these questions while investigating education as a social, cultural, political, and economic process. We will develop new understandings of current policy disputes regarding a broad range of educational issues by examining the familiar through different ideological and disciplinary lenses.

Critical Issues and Methods in Teaching Writing: Process Pedagogy to Multiliteracies In this course students will learn to work with writers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines while developing their own writing practices and habits. We will learn about writing pedagogy, tutoring strategies, and current topics in writing studies such as process pedagogy, technology and literacy, and multiliteracies. Students will explore multiple writing modalities while developing innovative teaching practices. Upon successful completion of the course, interested students will be invited to work as peer writing tutors in the Writing Center.

Models for Contemplative Education: Mindful Inquiry and Learning Contemplative education refers to a form of pedagogy that identifies the principles of embodied, mindful learning as integral to deep, engaged meaning-making. The field of contemplative studies informs this work, as educators develop new models of teaching that use critical first-person inquiry and mindfulness practices to foster sustained engagement. In this course we will explore the field of contemplative education and consider such questions as: what is learning and how does divergent or mindful thinking influence how we learn? Is there a connection between mindfulness and creativity, attention, memory? We will review research in the field and critically examine findings that suggest a correlation between contemplative practices and the intellectual growth and psychological well-being of students.

Conflict Transformation: Mindfulness Skills as Educational Praxis This course will introduce students to a variety of approaches to conflict transformation (CT) using skills-based practices from the fields of mindfulness and contemplative education. Conflict, as a personal or collective act of disruption, will be examined as a driver for social/political and individual change. We will examine this work through the theoretical lens of social justice and liberatory educational philosophies. Using these frameworks, we will also explore mindfulness-based skills as tools for engaged inquiry, including: identifying shifting conceptual frameworks and mindful states and employing embodied practices as learning praxis.

Writing to Heal This writing-intensive course examines writing as a catalyst for healing after loss or grief. In a workshop focused on student writing, we will analyze fiction, drama, poetry, and creative nonfiction as a basis for discussions.  To this end, we will read creative non-fiction, memoir, and novels.  Assignments for this course will include formal analytical essays, creative work (published online), and oral presentations.

Educational Psychology: Learning in the Community In this course we will expand our understanding of learning and teaching while engaging with the local school community, including professionals and stakeholders who support K-12 students in various roles. We will examine curriculum theory, teaching theories, and practices that support social-emotional as well as proficiency-based learning, trauma-informed teaching, and the use of personalized learning plans to support student growth and development.  In this way, students will continue to understand and develop effective instructional practices, the design of optimal learning environments, meaningful assessment tools, and effective and engaging teaching strategies for diverse, inclusive, innovative, student-focused classrooms.

Educational Psychology: Learning in Schools In this course we will expand our understanding of learning and teaching while exploring principles, issues, and research in educational psychology. We will examine learning theories, complex cognitive processes, cognitive and emotional development, and motivation, and apply these constructs to effective instruction, the design of optimal learning environments, assessment of student learning, and teaching in diverse classrooms. (Restricted to EDST majors, others by permission.)

Sophomore Seminar in the Liberal Arts The current pandemic, and all the questions it brings to the fore about what we value in a college experience, make this an ideal moment to consider the meaning and purpose of your liberal arts education. At the heart of this exploration will be a question posed by physicist Arthur Zajonc: “How do we find our own authentic way to an undivided life where meaning and purpose are tightly interwoven with intellect and action, where compassion and care are infused with insight and knowledge?” We will examine how, at this pivotal moment of decision making, you can understand your college career as an act of “cultivating humanity” and how you can meaningfully challenge yourself to take ownership of your intellectual and personal development. Through interdisciplinary and multicultural exploration, drawing from education studies and philosophical, religious, and literary texts, we will engage our course questions by way of student-led discussion, written reflection, and personal, experiential learning practices. In this way we will examine how a liberal arts education might foster the cultivation of an ‘undivided’ life, “the good life”, a life well-lived.

Melissa Hammerle

Reviews and ratings for Melissa Hammerle at Middlebury College.Melissa Hammerle teaches Education in the USA, Education In the USA, Issues & Methods Teach Writing and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Melissa Hammerle good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Melissa Hammerle is a saint. She has to be one of the best teachers I've ever had. Having her as my advisor has been invaluable to my academic experience. She cares so much; please take advantage of it.

Prof Hammerle is a great teacher for an intro the EDST -- she's very passionate and accommodating if you get overwhelmed and need more time for an essay. She's also invested in your personal success, like with internships etc.  

Methods and Issues to Writing is a thoughtful and engaging course that pushes students to think more critically about how and why we write. Rather than focusing only on mechanics, the class emphasizes argument, structure, and the social and ethical questions surrounding writing, which makes it especially valuable across disciplines.

The readings are diverse and intentionally challenging, encouraging students to grapple with different styles, perspectives, and rhetorical strategies. Writing assignments build progressively and reward revision and reflection, helping students become more deliberate and self-aware writers. Class discussions are a major strength of the course, as they push students to articulate ideas clearly and respond thoughtfully to others’ arguments.

That said, the workload can be demanding at times, particularly when multiple drafts and readings overlap. However, this intensity ultimately contributes to meaningful improvement in writing and critical thinking.

Overall, Methods and Issues to Writing is a rewarding course for students who are willing to engage deeply with their writing process and think critically about the role of writing in academic and real-world contexts.