鈥淪uperwoman 鈥� is that one word?鈥� asks Jaya Ducharme, a fourth-year student in the Fountain School of the Performing Arts.
Describing her instructor, Anneke Henderson, in one word is not a simple task.
Prof. Henderson, this year鈥檚 winner of the Dalhousie Student Union Teaching Award, presented at last month鈥檚 Student Impact Awards, says teaching is, 鈥渁 really highly satisfying, productive, rewarding career.鈥澛� 聽
鈥淚鈥檓 very honoured; completely surprised,鈥� she says about her award. 鈥淚 did not know they were nominating me. You just do what you do every day of the week and when somebody calls you up and says you鈥檝e won an award for teaching, it鈥檚 a bit of a shock.鈥�
An advocate for students
Prof. Henderson is an instructor in Dal鈥檚 Fountain School of Performing Arts, as well as head of wardrobe. When she spoke with Dal News, she was working tirelessly to organize the year-end show 鈥� Drums and Organs 鈥� for this year鈥檚 graduating students.
鈥淪he鈥檚 here all weekend; you can text her at any time, she鈥檒l just come from her house to help you with whatever it is you need help with,鈥� says Ducharme. 鈥淚t could be like 10 o鈥檆lock in the evening and she鈥檇 probably still come if you鈥檙e really stuck.鈥�
Prof. Henderson has been busy supporting seven honours students this year 鈥� managing wardrobes, plays and the opera, teaching classes and advocating for her students.
鈥淪tudents will be in here crying, or like, 鈥極h I鈥檓 so stressed about all the work I have to do,鈥� and Anneke has more work and to her it鈥檚 like, 鈥業t鈥檚 all going to be fine, it鈥檚 no trouble,鈥欌�� Ducharme says.
Prof. Henderson鈥檚 ongoing provision of support comes naturally.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more of a mentorship and advisory role that I play,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his is what we do all the time and this is what I鈥檝e done with students for 10 years, so for me, it鈥檚 the only way I know how to interact with students.鈥�
Inspired by teaching
Mallory Theoret, also a third-year student in the program, is taking two classes with Prof. Henderson this term.
鈥淸Prof. Henderson is] great, she鈥檚 super organized and on the ball about everything which is really nice,鈥� says Theoret. 鈥淪he really takes on a lot and does it really gracefully as well.鈥�
Henderson says she admires the students she works with and what they manage to accomplish in the in the course of a school year.
鈥淚鈥檓 always inspired by them, I think that it鈥檚 this lovely cycle that continues each September,鈥� Henderson says. 鈥淵ou go through a school year, you watch your fourth-year students graduate by June and it鈥檚 this lovely cycle that ends in such a celebratory way.鈥�