CCV Faculty Honored with Teaching Excellence Awards

CCV proudly recognizes members of its outstanding faculty with the annual Teaching Excellence Awards. Faculty are nominated by students, staff, and faculty colleagues, and this year more than 100 nominations were received. Recipients are selected by Academic Council, which includes faculty, staff, and student representatives. This year, CCV is pleased to honor Sean Dobbin, Ananda Forest, and E. Scott Frost.

Enchantment of Teaching

Sean Dobbin wears many hats: CCV English instructor, Community High School of Vermont (CHSVT) principal, and professional writer of crossword puzzles. Through his many interests, teaching others rises to the top of his list. “I had no idea how much I would take from being a teacher. I love being a teacher and it’s one of the most rewarding things in my life,” he said. “What I get from students fills my cup like nothing else.”

Sean earned  bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English, initially thinking he would become a writer or editor, or work in the arts. But, after becoming a teaching assistant at a local school he never looked back, becoming a licensed high school English teacher, then an administrator and college instructor. He started at CCV in 2016 and has taught English Composition and Dimensions of Self & Society. “I’m interested in people. So, every student who comes into my classes is so unique with different dreams, desires and abilities. I have a certain level of enchantment about that,” he said. “Teaching allows me to get to know somebody on that level and play a role in their development.”

For Sean, his teaching roles complement one another as he’s able to understand what both high school and college students need in their education. “My awareness of where they come from and where they’re going, I think that deeply influences how I’m able to help students learn what they need to get out of the class,” he said. Additionally, as an administrator he’s able to work with young teachers to help support them and help them grow as he does with his students. “To get a brand-new group of people and go on a learning journey together—it’s one of my favorite things in life,” Sean said.

When Sean was asked what he hopes his students take away from his classes, he responded, “That they feel like they know how to be okay with being wrong or not knowing something; they feel okay with answering questions or changing their mind on something, with flexibility in thinking. I want my students to feel like they can do anything.”

In the student nominations for the Teaching Excellence Award, it appears that Sean has succeeded in this goal. “I think that this faculty has made a difference in my life, simply due to the fact that he helped me in my first year of CCV. I didn’t know what my schedule would look like, and I had a lot of anxiety. When classes finally started, Sean was one of my teachers and he was very helpful, kind, and thoughtful,” said one student. Another added, “because of my great learning experience with Sean, I am taking another ‘required’ class this upcoming semester with him, hoping to expand and learn even more from his great knowledge and teaching.”   

Expanding Views, Sharing Culture

From a young age, Ananda Forest had a fascination with Native American culture that stemmed from his appreciation for nature. “I feel closer to whatever the ‘great mystery’ is when I’m in nature. That’s like my church,” he said. That fascination led to Ananda learning about sweat lodges, vision quests, and participating in pipe ceremonies – all rituals connected to Native American culture. Now, as an instructor at CCV for 20 years, he has been able to incorporate this knowledge into his classes.

Ananda didn’t plan to be a teacher. He grew up attending private school and was pushed toward finding a prestigious job, while also being pulled toward taking the classes he enjoyed. He majored in anthropology and literature as an undergraduate, participating in field work in Ireland, and continued to Yale Law School. “The theme through my whole life was just a keen sense of injustice and the need to fix it,” he said. “I tried doing that with the law and I just realized you’re using a hammer to try to do brain surgery.” Instead, he found his way into teaching. “With teaching, you’re helping people expand their views and increase their abilities…it’s a quiet way of working for social justice.”

Ananda started teaching Native American History and Culture at the CCV-Bennington center in 2005 shortly after moving to Vermont. He quickly realized he could incorporate his interests and experiences into the classroom, sharing culture beyond what was written in the textbooks. “Having done actual anthropological field work I think informs how I teach,” he said. “What I really bring is enthusiasm and passion. I want to share what I’m feeling joy about but it’s not just a one-sided conversation. I can’t convince you to love what I love,” he said. “But I can model what I love in the hopes of encouraging you and inspiring you to step forward.”

One student shared how Ananda helped inspire them in class. “This professor opened my eyes, full stop. They introduce a unique outlook on the world, one that is often looked over or neglected. There is passion in their voice when they teach, bringing the students into the learning rather than just speaking to them.”

As he looks forward to teaching World Mythology and Native American History and Culture online this fall, Ananda is also reflecting on receiving the Teaching Excellence Award for his work thus far. “I’m not doing it for recognition…it’s incredibly joyful,” he says of teaching. “You’re doing this work, and you don’t know what the results will be. To get a reward like this means the world.”

Surgeon to Teacher: Empowering Healthcare Professionals

Many CCV instructors are professionals in the field that bring their expertise and knowledge to the classroom, and Scott Frost is no exception. He made a career out of being a general and vascular surgeon and has now used his retirement to continue making a difference in people’s lives through working at the Bennington Free Clinic, teaching trauma courses at the Albany Medical Center, and teaching at CCV for the past 15 years.

Teaching Anatomy & Physiology was a natural fit for Scott given his experience in the healthcare field, but choosing to teach at CCV was all about the students. “Once I started getting to know the students at CCV, they were so dedicated and interested in learning. The caliber of the students, it’s what’s kept me here,” he said. Further, he has  been able to interact with many students who plan to continue working in healthcare. “They could be my nurse someday and I want to empower these people to really know how to learn, to make good decisions, how to not be afraid to ask for help and be the best professional they can be.”

Scott says that his experience as a surgeon has helped make him a better teacher. “One of the things doctors have to do is be able to translate this medical language that we have into something that’s understandable. So having experience in the medical profession helps me teach in simplified terms so all the students understand the basic concepts well.”

He has also adapted his teaching style to fit the needs of all types of students. “I’ve noticed there are so many different ways students learn, so I’ve tried to have different approaches,” Scott said. He incorporates study guides, discussions, case studies, and labs for hands-on learning. This teaching style has been appreciated by his students. “This subject could be extremely difficult, but he has developed a way to teach that helps each student learn and retain this information,” one student said. “He finds a way to help each student feel like they are his only student and his responses make you feel as if he has all the confidence in the world in you.”

Through all of the successes he has experienced in his career, receiving the Teaching Excellence Award is an honor at the top of his list. “It’s so fulfilling. I really work hard to help students that are serious about their studies,” he said. “It’s very fulfilling to see some appreciation for all of this, and it really means a lot to me.”