Center News

Amanda Parsons Cook

BA in Dance with K-12 licence. Minor in Communication Studies, 2008
Teacher, Winston Salem

I am currently in my 6th year of teaching and I think my whole job and my successes are based on the skills I learned in the speaking center. I empower students, I care about their feelings, I help them become better communicators, I reflect on my communication skills, I ask them to give me constant feedback, I use technology to engage them and also help them to reflect, I know so much about group communication and responsibility, I have learned how to listen and support my co workers, I am a confident voice for students and teachers when needed, I know I am always learning, and now I am helping to train another teacher to do these things. Most of all, I learned how to celebrate others talents, and I enjoy motivating and engaging students.

I have built amazing relationships with people. The skills I learned as a consultant and orientation manager made me confident in my speaking and in my role as a teacher. I was a pretty strong speaker before, but now I know how to efficiently use my skills on a daily basis and in different situations. I have words/vocabulary to reference. I am thankful every day for not only my experiences in the center but for the many friends I made as well.