Natalie Smith Carlson teaches writing in the health professions and writing in the humanities and social sciences. Her goal is to create positive change in the world through a critical, in-depth look at writing.
Natalie Smith Carlson supports her students with personal investment in their academic success and overall well-being. She’s inspired by their writing and appreciates how their diverse thoughts help her grow as a teacher.
Smith Carlson teaches writing in the health professions and writing in the humanities and social sciences. Her goal is to create positive change in the world through a critical, in-depth look at writing.
“I love being able to teach students that writing takes attention to detail, but more deeply, it requires practice and humility, reminding us to be generous in our consideration of others,” said Smith Carlson, who also is an NDSU doctoral student. “As a writing instructor, I keep students pondering current issues and together we practice communicating about them. I hope they can see the writing process as a guide for life: how to be open to inspiration from the conversations around us, reflect on the best ways to share our new ideas, and to keep adjusting the work until our positions are clearly communicated.”
Students’ honest writing and discussion have an impact every day. They share their life experience and varied views, which often provide a new way thinking about the subject of classroom assignments.
“Analyzing and responding to the ideas in their writing keeps me motivated because I am so often surprised by how students explain their thinking, and I gain new insight into how they are processing the world around us,” Smith Carlson said. “I love to see their reactions to what we are studying, and the work they do inspires me to persist in learning and listening.”
Smith Carlson also tries to make a difference in students’ lives by being mindful of their often full and varied lives.
“I want students to know that they matter to me, and I do my best to invest in their well-being and respect their academic lives by giving them a structured schedule, and also reminding them that I am here when they need support through extensions or one-on-one meetings to talk about assignments,” she said. “I watch for cues that students might be struggling and I brainstorm solutions, offer help or ask them to tell me what I can do for them. I want my students to feel seen, heard and important.”
Smith Carlson joined NDSU as a graduate teaching assistant in 2006. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English with a specialization in multicultural literature, a theatre minor, and a publishing certificate at Minnesota State University Moorhead and her master’s degree in rhetoric and composition with a specialization in women and gender studies from NDSU.