What’s your name, major and hometown?

My name is Sydney Wagner and I am Digital Media major from Downers Grove, IL.

What would be the most useful thing for me to know about you as a student?

I am a very visual/auditory learner, and I enjoy variety (I hate when a class follows the same exact structure every single day).

What do you wish was different about school?

I wish that there was more value put on actually learning and retaining the skills/ content learned rather than due dates. Regardless to whether a student feels like they actually learned and retained the material for the long run or not, many professors assign more material. This makes classes not as comprehensive, and can cause students to forget the material they learned rather quickly.

Describe a moment in school last year when you felt really engaged. Why do you think that moment was such a positive one for you?

A moment where I felt very engaged last year was during an Intro to Production class for Digital Media. One day, we were learning about how everything worked in the studio on the second floor and my professor was giving many students chances to try out the equipment as we learned. I am very interested in production and I think that being able to hands-on learn allowed me to retain more information.

What do you think teachers think about you, and what do you wish they’d think about you?

I think all my teachers think slightly different about me because of my levels of participation in various classes. In a class I am interested in, I will participate a lot because I more engaged and more eager to learn. In a class I am not as interested in, I will tend to only listen to others and not participate unless I feel that I have something very important to say. So, I believe some professors think I am an active and outgoing student, and others think I am a rather average student. I wish for all of my teachers to believe I am hardworking and have a lot of potential for future success.

Tell me about a teacher who you feel knew you well. What kind of student were you in his or her class? What did he or she do to get to know you?

I feel that my Journalism 1 teacher, Professor Whitehead, knew me very well. I participated very regularly in her class, and went to her office hours a number of times to gain insight from her about my work. I feel that I was a very active and hardworking student overall in that class. In order to get to know our class, Professor Whitehead allowed a lot of time for discussion amongst our class, and provided a lot of assistance in and outside of class if students needed it. She was not afraid to speak her mind about our writing and allowed us to give honest feedback about the class as it was progressing.

If you could build a school, what would it look like?

I think if I were to build a school, I would love if the buildings were brightly colored and very homey. The classrooms would be much more comfortable than most. I would love to have a school where each student had a little comfy arm chair with lap desk or regular desk, and it would be acceptable to bring blankets to school too. I think that a comfortable learning environment gives students the ability to focus more on the content being taught.

What do you wish I would ask you so that I can be a good teacher for you?

I wish you would ask me if the material makes sense before throwing us into assignments just so we have full understanding of the material.

What makes a weekend day great for you?

A weekend day is great when I wake up at a reasonable hour and get a lot accomplished fast if I need to, while being able to relax and hang out with my friends or family. Also I absolutely love running, yoga, and reading, so if those things were incorporated in my day it would be a great one.

What is your favorite song right now and why?

This song has been a favorite of mine for a while now, basically because it’s so catchy and is currently stuck in my head 24/7.