For this Tartan Spotlight, the Clarion will shine light on Professor Amanda Hayden who teaches Western Religions. Hayden has inspired past students with her love and dedication to teaching this subject. Hayden instructs students on the history of each religion; she also encourages her students to share feelings and personal perspectives on the lessons. The lessons learned in the course seem more valuable today than ever.
Hayden believes her class is more relevant today than ever before.
“I think people realize that beyond just being fun and interesting to learn about religions and humanities, it really is necessary to live harmoniously with others – to understand and educate, to overcome and dispel fears and assumptions,” Hayden said.
Hayden has taught many classes such as Eastern Religions, Western Religions, Introduction to Humanities, Introduction to Philology, Logic, Environmental Ethics, and Native American Studies.
“I knew I wanted to be a teacher after I watched Dead Poets Society when I was 11 years old,” she said. “But it was during my first year of college, when I was attending a local community college, when I realized very clearly that these were my people, and this was exactly the kind of atmosphere in which I wanted to teach.”
There she learned the importance of having a diverse student body.
“As a student, I was able to hear from people of all walks of life, with different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, experiences, families, etc. This made for much more interesting philosophy and psychology classes with much richer and more real discussions,” she said. “As a first-generation college student, working multiple jobs to pay my way through, I felt like I wasn’t alone in those struggles.”
Professor Hayden was born in St Louis but has called Ohio home for 21 years. When not teaching at Sinclair, Hayden leads a busy life on a farm with her three daughters, seven rescued potbellied pigs, two rescued goats, and a couple of dogs and cats. It is her favorite place to be.
“Now, being able to teach at a community college like I’d always imagined, I really try to see my students and try my best to really validate and hear them on where they are at – I know that there is a lot more going on in their lives than just this one class, so I do my best to recognize that and work with them to make the best possible plan for success,” she said.
Hayden finds inspiration in many things.
“I’ve been teaching for 21 years. I am still in love–I think I’m even more in love now–with teaching. I get excited to go to class, interact with students and teach material that I feel so passionate about,” she said. “I enjoy using music, art, videos, etc., and anything that will help students really connect to our material. I try to have something that appeals to all learning styles, so I mix it up. In the fields I teach, there is always something new to learn, so it always feels exciting to me.”
A positive attitude is clearly reflected in her teaching style and willingness to engage students in open, sometimes uncomfortable conversations.
“I also love to see students share their perspectives and think outside the box and hear how it affects their own ideas of spirituality and identity and the environment,” she said. “Just the idea that I can be part of/witness a new understanding of ourselves, each other, and the world, to encourage religious dialogue, environmental awareness, etc. I can’t imagine a better job in the world!”
Hayden has recently transitioned to teaching some in-person classes.
“Well, it’s been, I think, for everyone, a lot,” she said. “Fortunately, my students in the face to face classes have been extremely considerate, mindful of Sinclair’s protocol and we are just taking it class by class, week by week. We just want to make sure safety is always the priority and I feel Sinclair has done a really amazing job with doing this over the last year.”
According to her students, Hayden has done an amazing job.
“It made me more comfortable discussing these subjects openly – I had not felt safe to discuss some of this before this class,” said one student.
Hayden is a true inspiration, a leader in educating Sinclair students on cultivating and understanding the diverse ways a person can be spiritual and or religious.
“No matter a person’s major or career goals, learning the basic histories and narratives and human experiences that you find in diverse religious paths helps us with our own communication, understanding, empathy, and seeing ourselves in each other,” said Hayden. “A pretty amazing job to have – I feel really grateful!”
Sinclair is also grateful to have her as a professor.
Diane Sikora
Reporter