On creating an inclusive Learning Community:

“I really appreciated the structure of the class, with readings on our own time and class discussions about those readings. Professor Trujillo always encouraged us to participate and facilitated the discussions well. I really liked the readings in this class and especially appreciated that they shed light on important issues like race and class distinctions. Overall I really enjoyed this class and especially appreciated how supportive and understanding Professor Trujillo was!”

“Thelma is a genuine teacher at heart. She is able to get the whole class actively involved in a positive and charismatic manner. Her ability to listen to students and then making a lesson of it is truly a gift that cannot be unnoticed.”

“Thelma was always very cheerful and upbeat which made class 10x more enjoyable. She genuinely wanted us students to understand each reading. I really enjoyed how much we read from authors who were not white. In high school I really just read books by white authors. But reading from people of color I learned a lot.”

“I think in class professor Trujillo did a great job of pulling in outside information that was relevant and aided in everyone’s understanding of the text. I think this also helped to facilitate civil conversations about potentially hard topics. It gave everyone a little bit of background and confidence to speak up.”

““Thank you so much for teaching me this semester. I enjoyed every second of your class because of the positive energy you brought day in and day out. Originally, I was not looking forward to this class as I have never really been a reading or writing person throughout my time in school, but that quickly changed. I loved the readings you provided us and the discussions that went with them. You provided us a safe space to voice our opinions on some controversial topics about our wild world and you welcomed us with open arms.”

“I appreciated how much Ms T cared about the class and what she was teaching. It was always a good time during class. She created an environment that was a joy to be in.”

On supporting their intellectual growth:

“The feedback that Thelma gave on every single essay was crazy awesome. Even though she had so many students papers to grade, she was able to give multiple comments to my paper, which made it feel like more personal. I also really enjoyed that that the class discussed underrepresented voices because that is super important to learn about. Also, the discussion based class was amazing and talking with other students was very helpful in my learning.”

“Thelma allowed us to take creative liberty on a lot of discussions, assignments, etc. She provided guideline to things, but always encouraged us to take it how we needed. In my past English classes, teachers always had their interpretation of texts and expected everyone else’s to align. I appreciated how she wanted to hear different interpretations and tried to understand where we were coming from. She centered the class around each one of our understandings and it really helped me develop as a student.”

“Again would like to reiterate just how enjoyable this class was. I do not read much fiction so all the readings were a real treat. Being a bit older I probably should have been a better writer to begin with, but I really enjoyed the opportunity to practice more. . .It is rare to have a teacher with so much compassion and motivation to teach. That was not lost on me, so thank you.”

“I loved the class! I learned so much and really appreciated how passionate Thelma was about the topics we covered. She did a very good job connecting to the students and making class fun. Although I struggled with some of the literature, Thelma was always there to help and get me back on track. 10/10”

“I really enjoyed learning how to understand poems and use your insightful feedback to help me improve on my papers.”

On supporting their Emotional growth:

“Thelma, thank you so much for being an excellent educator despite navigating through a devastating global pandemic. You’ve been more instrumental in my education than you realize. Along with learning about literature, your class taught me about perspective, privilege, and compassion. I’ve grown to be a better student and a better person thanks to you.”

“I could always tell you were invested in your students, not just their learning but them as individuals. Though this is always necessary, I think it made a particularly big difference this semester.”

“Thelma was very hands-on and continued to keep her students engaged. I think she truly cared about her students and wanted them to succeed. I would recommend taking a course with her to anyone.”

“You were an awesome teacher! You always checked in on us and it felt like you actually cared about our well-being which always creates a comfortable learning environment.”