Michigan State University is fortunate to have passionate educators who are committed to enhancing the experience of their students and who help to provide the best education possible.

The Graduate School is featuring some of these educators – graduate and postdoc educators – every month to share their unique stories and perspectives on what it means to be a dedicated educator, how they’ve overcome educational challenges, and the ways they have grown through their experiences.

For October 2025, we are featuring Estela Gonçalves de Souza, a doctoral candidate in History. In her writeup, Estela shares how she developed her own teaching style and built confidence in lecturing in her second language.

What does it mean to be an educator at a university?

Being an educator at a university is a life-changing opportunity. When I started as a history teacher eight years ago, I always envisioned myself guiding future professionals to create and promote meaningful impacts on students pursuing their K-12 education. For me, changes for social justice begin in the initial stages of education, and this is the philosophy I consider the most important. The experience of teaching at the college level has enabled me to advise new educators in this vital profession of shared knowledge and learning development.

I found myself passionate about history in my early years of middle school. I have several memories of gathering with my friends’ group at the time to discuss the ideas behind historical events and how to study for the tests. I became more involved in teaching history for fun, and when the time came, I decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in this field. And here I am, ten years into qualifying, professionalizing, learning, and adapting methods on how to be a historian. This trajectory translated into my enjoyment of how to approach the content I teach at MSU, considering the different paths, personal backgrounds, and knowledge goals/outcomes of the subjects I interact with.

Throughout this journey, I had several mentors whose guidance and course framework helped me develop my own teaching style, starting with my family, where my mom, Vera Lúcia, and aunts, Sônia Gonçalves and Rita de Cássia, are also K-12 teachers. At my former college, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF) - Brazil, Dr. Carolina Bezerra and Dr. Fernanda Thomaz taught me the foundational principles of translating history as an essential discipline for non-specialized audiences.

In my education classes, doctors Sônia Miranda, Yara Alvim, and Anderson Ferrari trained us for the realities of class teaching and the practice of education as a means for freedom, as bell hooks advocated. One lesson I learned from this trajectory is the imperative of positioning students—regardless of their educational level—as active historical subjects. This exercise helps them recognize their worth within the broader global context, strategically drawing their attention to historical matters.

At Michigan State University, the mentorship of Dr. Stefanie Baier and Dr. Hima Rawal, through the Graduate Teaching Assistant Preparation Program (GTAP) and the Graduate Educator Advancement and Teaching (GREAT) program, was crucial in my transition from K-12 to college-level teaching. I am committed to developing inclusive educational tools and creating meaningful ways to reach, guide, and instruct current and future professionals in the long term. I am proud of what I have achieved so far and look forward to further improving my skills as a future professor. I did not arrive here by myself, and I am grateful to all the people who paved and showed me the way.

Challenges you have experienced and how have you grown from these?

Acclimating to a new country and academic system was initially very challenging. Although I had taught for five years before moving to the United States, I needed to adapt my methodologies to the English language. Insecurities about accent, idiom, culture, and social differences slowly faded away when I connected with other international professionals who experienced a similar journey. Dr. Rawal’s advice to embrace my true self while teaching contributed to building confidence in lecturing in my second language.

My role as a teaching assistant required me to find new ways to captivate students in the historical content, especially during morning recitations. The approach I found most beneficial was/is to divide them into groups, fostering knowledge sharing, engagement with the materials, and connections with other classmates. To encourage them to share their points of view, I always create a respectful and safe space, nurturing their worth as students and emphasizing the importance of feeling welcome in an educational environment. Having small group discussions and then broadening them to a class debate proved to be a simple yet powerful tool for keeping students engaged with the course content.

Benefiting from the GTAP and GREAT insights, I devise different activities for every class, such as Kahoot games, interactive images and videos, as well as drawing on their own experiences as historical subjects. Overcoming these challenges has demonstrated my own worth as an educator, committed to advancing pedagogical practices and stimulating enthusiasm in the learning process.

What value do you see in Teaching Professional Development?

I see professional development as a cornerstone for educators. In the United States, it is common for graduate students to begin teaching immediately after completing their undergraduate degree. The introduction and guidance provided through the programs offered by MSU, such as GTAP, GREAT, and the Certification in College Teaching, are crucial not only for new teachers but also for experienced ones. Although my BA in History is related to teaching, at MSU, I was personally introduced to several other ways to be an educator and how to utilize technology for pedagogical purposes.

The available resources at the Graduate School—including workshops on trauma-informed education, accessibility, equity, and navigating challenging times—offer graduate students a supportive network of highly skilled professionals in their quest to advance/improve academic settings. I view teaching as a continuous journey; professional development is a valuable tool for those seeking to become educators of the future.

What is one piece of advice you would give other graduate educators?

Stay in community with people you feel comfortable around, who validate your feelings, worthiness, and strengths. Grad school can be isolating and a very intense process, but know you are not alone. MSU offers several resources to support students' financial, physical, and mental needs.

Actively seek opportunities to enhance your graduate journey and professional skills, as it is also an occasion to connect with peers across fields. Prioritize moments of rest and self-care. A successful completion of a graduate journey is preceded by personal wellness, in any way that is meaningful to you. Listen to your inner voice and allow yourself moments of guilt-free leisure.

What do you enjoy in your free time?

I love playing with my cat, exploring new places, and trying new vegetarian/vegan recipes. Spending time with my family and friends is something I always look forward to. And of course, reading!

What non-academic book are you currently reading/ or is a favorite?

I just finished “All About Love” by bell hooks, because I felt the need to hear her wise words in these very uncertain times. Picking a favorite book is a hard one, but I love this Brazilian poetry book “Tudo Nela Brilha e Queima: Poemas de Luta e de Amor” (Everything in Her Shines and Burns: Poems of Struggle and Love) by Ryane Leão and “Torto Arado” (Crooked Plow) by Itamar Vieira Júnior. When I feel overwhelmed by academic books, I always turn to Brazilian authors to ease my mind.