Excellence in Teaching

Kathy Ferguson

Kathy Ferguson is a professor in the UH Manoa Women’s Studies Program and the Department of Political Science. Ferguson believes that teaching is a process, not a product, because it is ongoing, unpredictable, and, under the best of circumstances can contribute to a lifetime of lasting reflection.

The idea of "teacher as thinker" underlines Ferguson’s pedagogical moves and modes. She believes that the teaching/learning process flourishes best when she keeps a few basic guidelines in mind—start where the students are; expect a great deal, but in do-able steps; always take students’ concerns seriously and have a good time.

Her classes are best described as lecture/discussion with a series of ongoing conversations. Because people learn with their bodies as well as their minds, Ferguson looks for ways to include hands-on activities, such as field trips to a free school, a Native Hawaiian community project, a food co-op and a grassroots feminist organization. Ferguson began the Faculty Ambassadors Program in 1996 to take the excitement of university teaching and research into high school classrooms.