Sonja Ezell, Ph.D.

Service Learning Course(s):

• EDUC-4340, Human Growth and Development

“[Service Learning] is worth it. It enriches the students and their lives and their perspectives that they'll take into the classroom in terms of being a teacher and what it means."

As an instructor at UTA with the College of Education since 2020, Dr. Sonja Ezell works with pre-service teachers while making observations at schools to better prepare future teachers. This professional setting has influenced her to incorporate service learning so that students can develop that skill set and the emotional tools needed to be a successful teacher within the school system.

By implementing service learning into her courses, Dr. Ezell wants her students to envelop the communicative aspect as a teacher when working with both student and parent. What attracted her to the fellows program was the opportunity to interact with the community and taking the risk incorporating service learning into her courses.

In Dr. Ezell’s human development and growth course, she has invented an activity with the focus of analyzing social and emotional growth of students and the impact of community resources. Her analysis of engaging in the community builds a connection with students and the community introducing a new perspective to the student’s outlook.

Dr. Ezell was able to explore her ideas to embed them into her curriculum and the fellows program provided a place for all the ideas she had. For faculty hesitant on implementing a service learning component into their courses, she suggests to give it a try and to be open on being creative because the program provides resources and the verbiage to incorporate it into the syllabus.