Variety Editor- Colleen Coleman

This week’s Gustie of the Week is Dr. Amy Vizenor, Grace and Bertil Pehrson Endowed Associate Professor of Education. Vizenor has been with the Education Department since 2001, starting as Admissions and Field Experience Coordinator and teaching courses as needed. After briefly leaving to finish her doctoral dissertation and support her growing family, she has been at Gustavus full-time since 2009, serving as department chair for the past five years, teaching middle and secondary methods courses, supervising student teachers in Minnesota and abroad, and much more. 

In life, Vizenor is passionate about investing in relationships, whether it be with students, coworkers, family, or friends. Among students, Vizenor is well-loved for her engaging classes and mentorship. 

“The way she structures her classes makes coming to class such a joy because of all the amazing and fun activities she plans. She also makes it her number one goal to know about students’ struggles so she can accommodate them in any way, shape, or form,” Sophomore Music Education major Christopher Alvarado-Salazar said.

At Gustavus, she is involved in the Kendall Center professional development programming, a member of an employee community wellness group, and serves as faculty advisor for Delight Ministries. Brought to the southern Minnesota area by her husband starting a job in Mankato, Vizenor was drawn to Gustavus’ smaller liberal arts environment. 

“Being [the Admissions and Field Experience Coordinator,] I loved the faculty, students, staff, and just the interaction and community that I felt working here. I felt like we shared a mission and vision for really providing a student-focused experience and I enjoyed getting to know students [as Admissions and Field Experience Coordinator,]” Vizenor said. 

Philosophically, Vizenor believes that teaching methods transcend grade levels. “I think good teaching is good teaching … if you can incorporate those principles into your teaching, such as aligned instruction, active engagement, relationship-driven teaching,” she said. 

“I have had the unique experience of having Amy as a professor first and now working with her as a colleague. Amy truly exemplifies and shows in her teaching what it means to be an effective, caring educator and one that I have certainly tried to emulate throughout my career,” Visiting Assistant Professor in Music, Dr. Andrew Kendall ‘15 said.

Vizenor was drawn to education from her high school Honors English teacher, Rita Johnson’s enthusiasm around learning, and that she let her students be creative and express themselves through assignments. 

“For instance, one of the works we read was One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich [by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn] where we got to do a creative project to express how we interpreted his work. I was in band at the time … and I picked a piece on flute that I thought reflected the tone and the feel of the literature, and I played the piece for my project,” Vizenor said. 

Vizenor has a vast teaching background that provides a dynamic atmosphere in her classes, having taught in the St. Cloud school district as a curriculum specialist and at an alternative high school. Having started her post-secondary teaching journey at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, she was drawn to teacher preparation programs because of the direct pathway and support she was able to provide students with while exploring their passions. 

“I prioritize getting to know students. I think you can teach people better if you have a relationship with them and … you understand at least a little bit of what makes them tick,” Vizenor said. 

Due to external accreditation, being the chair of the Education department comes with a unique set of responsibilities. Recently, the Education department underwent a regular review by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, a state organization that sets requirements to ensure teacher preparation programs sufficiently support college students in receiving a teaching license in the state of Minnesota. 

As department chair, Vizenor has been working for the past year to prove that Gustavus’ Education program meets all state requirements of a teacher preparation program, reaching out to faculty, college officials, alumni, and students to prove the department’s quality of education. 

“It should be noted how much time and effort she put into our program’s recent external accreditation visit (which we passed with flying colors): she made – and makes! – [The Education department] shine and we are all so fortunate to know and work with her,” Associate Professor of Education, Dr. Lisa Dembouski said.

Looking back on her time at Gustavus, Vizenor is most proud of the work she has done with Dembouski on the Global Educators program. 

“She’s an extraordinary educator and model for our teacher candidates/[Education] majors and minors, is quintessentially student-centered and she is willing to take on far more than her share to give students the best experiences and most opportunities possible,” Dembouski said. 

The Global Educators program aims to give future educators a diverse view of what education looks like by completing student teaching licensure requirements away from Minnesota, with national and international sites in Alaska, Hawai’i, Spain, and more. 

Looking back on her life as a teacher, Vizenor would advise students to be more comfortable taking risks. 

“I do tell prospective students that I think sometimes people get stressed out about where [they] should go or what [their] major should be. It’ll be you. In some ways you can’t make a wrong decision, you will build a life whatever path you choose. Just embrace that uncertainty and let it happen,” Vizenor said. 

Well-loved by the Gustavus community for her engaging teaching, mentorship, and overall positive energy, Dr. Amy Vizenor is a shining light in the department—and on campus, a prime example of what it means to be a proud Gustie.