Recommendations from Teaching Assistant

From Teaching Assistant Brittney Durbin, Master’s Candidate at the University of Missouri

I met Mimi in January of 2014, when I was assigned as a teaching assistant (TA) for the J1100, Principles of American Journalism class she was instructing. It was my first semester as a graduate student and also a TA. Mimi demonstrated great understanding and patience as I learned how to fill in to my role as a teaching assistant. She took the time to teach me how to use Blackboard, the interface that is used at the University of Missouri for managing grades and assignments for classes. Mimi is very knowledgeable in all aspects of Blackboard, which is crucial for class efficiency, so her instruction was well appreciated.

Furthermore, Mimi exemplified amazing leadership skills over myself and the other two teaching assistants who were hired for J1100. She assigned tasks in a very proportional way, dividing tasks equally. Additionally, Mimi led by example. Many professors delegate the TAs to complete all the grading for the class, but Mimi was always involved in the process. Also, Mimi handles conflict between teammates with poise, and directly addresses the issue and finds the best solution. Our team of teaching assistants was able to effectively manage the class, large in part due to Mimi.

Lastly, as an instructor, Mimi commands the room whenever she holds the stage. She did an excellent job of engaging her students, and challenging them to think critically. Mimi was also well versed in the content of the class, and brought real-world experience into her lectures.

All in all, Mimi Perreault is an excellent leader, supervisor, instructor, and now someone whom I consider a friend. She would be an asset to any University, and her students would benefit greatly from her knowledge.