Faculty Features | Constance Van Horne：微笑与勇气伴你前行
Faculty Features
三尺讲台春风化雨，门下自是桃李成辉。广东以色列理工学院拥有世界一流的教师团队，老师们全情投入，潜心钻研，成为学生们科研思维的开启者、科研道路的引路人，也因此收获学生们敬重和爱戴。
教师系列专访将分享广以的师长大家们在治学修身、教书育人上的真知灼见和感悟箴言。让更多人走进广以课堂，走近广以教师，了解广以的办学特色与育人理念。
Constance Van Horne
Constance Van Horne博士出生于加拿大，2018年来到广以教授沟通、写作和英语，深受学生喜爱。大家都亲切地叫她Connie，她还有个好听的中文名“黄侃雯”，这个名字是学生帮的忙：既取本名的谐音，又体现出Connie鲜明的性格——侃侃而谈，友善大方。
Connie是一位充满激情、关爱学生的老师，连续两年获得广以 “优秀教师”称号。2020年，她还获得广东省政府2020年教学改革项目立项，探索通过沟通类课程培养学生的科学好奇心和提问技能。Connie持续从事创业和STEM高等教育教学的研究，并与来自全球各地包括法国、马来西亚、阿联酋和加拿大等国的不同学科的研究人员合作。
近日，Connie分享了她在广以的教学生活经历以及对大学教育、英语学习的看法。
“
幸运
是机会遇上准备
“在广以，英语是支持型课程，但也至关重要，能帮助学生在专业上走得更远。”Connie认为，在广以教授英语，需要着眼于为学生们提供组织语言的框架。“宏观上看，科学需要交流。科技发明要走出实验室，与不同的思维碰撞，在合作中落到实处，改变大家的生活。在这个过程中，英语作为一门通用语被高频使用。而对于广以学生，他们在全英教学的环境学习，更需要扎实有效的语言工具。”
基于这两个目标，Connie从“听说读写”四个方面出发，在课上与课后设计了许多实践练习，比如要求学生与世界各地的笔友写英文邮件（pen pal activity）探讨学术问题，在课后用英语交谈等。化工专业毕业生王雨欣表示，Connie开设的Advanced Discussion和Academic Writing等课程，对之后准备申研时CV的撰写、专业论文的写作和应对面试等方面都非常有帮助。
“学生们需要学的不是语言本身，而是用英语学习和交流的技巧。他们需要看懂课上的PPT，读懂文献，和老师有效交流，在学术会议上发言……这和他们在高中时期学的英语还不太一样。”Connie以口语举例，许多英语单词改变重音后会是不同的意思，如“object/ˈɒbdʒɪkt/（n. 物体）”和“object/əbˈdʒekt/（v. 反对）”。当说话者讲的是母语时，往往不会意识到这种细微的差别，更多是凭直觉付诸于口。而对于非母语者，很多细节就需要有意识地推敲。学生在应试教育阶段往往更注重书写，而忽略了口语的重要性。“就像我对中国人说‘láo shí’的时候，对方能懂得我想表达的是‘老师’，但非中文母语者可能get不到。许多广以老师并不是英语母语者，因此和他们沟通时，使用准确的英语会更顺畅。”
“我理解大家用第二门语言学习的难处。”Connie回忆起自己的硕士求学经历：她在加拿大攻读MBA时授课语言是法语。为了听懂讲课内容，她花了六个月阅读和积累词汇，付出了很多努力。“幸运就是机会遇上准备。”Connie认为，自己的工作就是帮助学生们在英语方面做好准备，鼓励学生发现自己的声音，抓住科研机会。
“
教育者
即恒学者
“教育者即恒学者（To be an educator means you are a constant learner）”，这是Connie很赞同的一个观点，她希望在课上课下都营造“教学相长”的氛围。她的办公室一直实行“开门政策（open door policy）”。“无论你是不是我教过的学生，只要你需要帮助，都欢迎你联系我，到我办公室来交流想法和困惑。”她提醒同学们：这里是大学，你在这里不仅仅是为了学习，而是要成长为一个“全人（whole person）”。
她热情乐助的品质赢得了很多人的尊重。2018级材料专业学生林洽和刘栩琦以共同第一作者的身份在知名学术期刊Metals上发表论文，他们表示，论文书写过程中，Connie给了很多中肯的意见，使英文表述更加准确通顺。2021级学生匡伟回忆道：“在课余时间，Connie会帮我斟酌简历，鼓励我申请加入教授的实验室；她还与我分享自己的人生历程，说兴趣、谈人生、聊理想，让我逐渐清晰自己的规划。”在创新创业方面，Connie也为学生提供了许多建议和指导，曾担任创业项目“顺鹿”的商业指导顾问、环保创意比赛及视频大赛评委等。
2021级学生陈彦帆感慨道：“Connie老师对我们像对她的孩子一样。她不仅是我们的英语老师，更是我们的人生导师。不管我们在学业或生活中遭遇了何种困难，她总是热情地帮助我们。”毕业生袁春霖在Connie身上学到了积极乐观的态度：“我慢慢意识到，遇到困难，与其固守待援，不如主动出击寻找机会，把主动权掌握在自己的手里。即使失败，至少努力过也不会留下遗憾。”
“我很喜欢广以的学生。他们尊重老师，勤奋好学，同时也敢梦敢闯，会抓住一切机会实现自己的梦想。这些孩子有让世界变得更好的理想，他们探寻净化水源的良方、保护生物多样性、研究新材料新能源……他们致力于成为这些宏大、意义深远的项目的一份子，这让我很感动。”Connie坦言，这也是四年前她决定留在广以的原因之一。“广以培养的学生具有以色列‘虎刺怕’精神与中国勤奋智慧相结合的特质，我们鼓励学生们分享自己的所学所得，让教学相长。我看到了同学们在课堂上敢于主动提问、敢于创业创新，也看到了他们仔细勤奋、努力刻苦的身影。我为GTers骄傲！”
“
微笑与勇气
伴你前行
“微笑与勇气（smile and courage）”是 Connie的座右铭，在课堂上她经常鼓励孩子们分享他们的“微笑与勇气”时刻。她认为，笑容会给人带来正向的能量，而勇气则是跳出舒适圈、完成目标不可或缺的动力。她在朋友圈每天“连载”着这些温暖的话语。对她来说，“微笑与勇气”不仅是提醒自己的箴言（mantra），也是她对朋友们、同学们的鼓励。“广以学生拥有一笔非常宝贵的财富，我们的教授非常愿意为你答疑解惑，校园内的气氛也很好。所以，不要不好意思提问，永远有人愿意为你提供帮助，永远记得微笑与勇气！”
（Connie与BFE的2020届学生Jennie共同创作的明信片）
Connie很享受与人交流的过程，着迷于与不同文化的碰撞交流。来到中国前，她对这个神秘古老的文化并未深入了解——而现在，她已经成为一个“中国通”。剪窗花、做红桃粿、包粽子、酿桑椹酒，或到街巷中了解本地民俗、探寻风土人情，到本地中学开讲，深入了解中国的教育。她将所见所闻所感化作人生的财富并享受其中，以热忱细腻的心为周围的人提供实打实的帮助。她打趣地把自己比作孩子们的“熊妈妈”（mother bear），她用爱温暖着每一位学生，成为广以学生心目中的“宝藏”老师。
Smile & Courage
Faculty Features
Teachers are like the lighthouse, enlightening all succeeding generations. They devote themselves to teaching and research, winning many students' respect and love.
The series of interviews with teachers will share their insights on education so that more people can get close to GTIIT's classes and teachers and know about its characteristics and educational philosophy.
Constance Van Horne
Dr. Constance Van Horne, born in Canada, came to Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) in 2018 and teaches communications, writing and English. She endears herself to all who work with her and is so beloved by her students, who always call her “Connie” and help her choose her lovely Chinese name “黄侃雯”, which is a resonance of her real name and reflects her distinctive personality – a good talker, friendly and generous.
As a passionate and student-focused educator, Connie has won numerous awards for her teaching and has won GT’s “Excellence in Teaching” award for two years. In 2020 she was co-awarded the 2020 Teaching Reform Project from the Guangdong Provincial Government for a project on the Nobel Prize that develops scientific curiosity and question-asking skills in students taking the Communications class. Connie continues to do research in entrepreneurship and higher education teaching in STEM and collaborates with researchers across diverse disciplines and around the globe including France, Malaysia, the UAE and Canada.
Recently, Connie shared her insights into teaching and life in university.
“
LUCK
is being prepared for an opportunity
English courses are supportive in GTIIT, but this does not diminish their significance – they are assisting students in succeeding academically. According to Connie, teaching English here means to give STEM students the frameworks on which to base their language. “We need to communicate science more effectively because if it stays in the lab, no one will benefit from it. This is the big goal. The small goal is, our students are studying in an English-speaking environment.”
Based on the two goals, Connie has designed a variety of practical exercises in and after class from the four aspects of “listening, speaking, reading and writing”, such as the “pen pal activity” and “chatting in English”. Wang Yuxin, a graduate of CE, said that Advanced Discussion and Academic Writing taught by Connie were very helpful for CV writing, paper writing and interview preparation.
“Students should focus on developing their communication and learning skills in English rather than simply learning the language itself. They need to understand the presentations in class, communicate with instructors, engage with discipline literature analysis, deliver presentations at academic conferences......These are quite different from what they learned in high schools.” Connie uses the example of spoken English, where many English words, such as “object/ˈɒbdʒɪkt/ (n.)” and “object/əbˈdʒekt/ (v.)”, mean different things when the stress is changed. Native speakers express themselves more naturally, and are unaware of such subtleties. For non-native speakers, however, many details must be highlighted consciously. “For instance, when I say ‘láo shí’ to a Chinese person, he/she can understand what I mean is ‘teacher (lǎo shī)’, but a non-native speaker might not get it. Many faculty members at GTIIT are second-language English speakers – they also need to hear English in a correct way.”
“I can see students struggling and I know what it takes to study in your second language – it’s not easy and needs hard work,” Connie recalls her memory of pursuing the MBA in Canada in French. During those days, she spent hours and hours reading and building her vocabulary. “For me, luck is being prepared for an opportunity. My job is to prepare students with confidence in communication, help them to find their voice, and seize their opportunities in science.”
“
To be an EDUCATOR
means you are a constant learner
“I fully believe that to be an educator means you are a constant learner. I create an atmosphere in class where I can learn as much from my students as they can learn from me.” She supports students with her “open door policy”. “It means that whether you are a former student, a current student or have never been my student, you can visit me if you want. Just make an appointment and come.” Connie also wants to remind students that they are in the university to learn and grow. The thing they do here is not only studying, but to become a whole person.
Her passionate nature won the respect of many people.Lin Qia and Liu Xuqi (graduates of MSE) published an article as co-first authors in the famous journal Metals (SCI). They pointed out that Connie gave them useful advice on English writing. Kuang Wei (Cohort 2021, CE) said, “She helped to refine my CV and motivated me to apply for a professor's lab, and she also performed as a career mentor and coached me with her rich anecdotes.” In terms of entrepreneurship, Connie has been the business consultant of “Shunlu”, the first student-found start-up at GTIIT, and the judge of the Poster Competition of the Campus Environmental Protection Cultural Festival and GTIIT Video Competition.
“Connie treats her students as her kids! She's not only our English teacher, but our good mentor, always willing to help us with anything we encounter with,” said Chen Yanfan (21, MCS). Graduate Yuan Chunlin learned the positive and optimistic attitude from Connie, “I gradually realize that when we encounter difficulties, instead of waiting for help, it is better to take the initiative to look for opportunities and try hard without leaving any regrets.”
“GTers are very diligent, respectful and ambitious. They want to develop things that will change the world and be part of making the world a better place: they want clean water for everyone, they study bio diversity, develop new materials and food......they know they can contribute to the whole world!” Connie indicates that this is one of the reasons she stays at GTIIT. “GTers have a combination of Israeli Chutzpah and Chinese diligence. We encourage students to share what and how they have studied and that students and teachers can build common achievements. We see you, daring to volunteer, daring to ask questions no one has asked before and daring to go be part of the GT start-up challenge. And you also carefully finished your tasks with effort. I am very proud of you!”
“
Smile & Courage
“Smile and courage” is Connie’s motto, and she often invites students to share their “smile and courage” moments in class. She holds that smiles are contagious and courage is essential for stepping outside one’s comfort zone and achieving goals. She “serializes” these warm words in her Wechat moments. For her, this is not only a mantra to remind herself, but also an encouragement to her friends and students. “Our professors are very willing to answer your questions, and the atmosphere on campus is great. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions because there will always be someone willing to help you. And… remember, smile and courage!”
(postcard designed by Connie and BFE student Jennie)
Connie enjoys communications with different spirits from different cultures. Before she came to China, she knows merely anything about its profound history, but now she has become a “China expert” – she dives deep into Chinese culture. She can do paper-cut, make red peach cake, wrap Zong Zi and brew mulberry wine; she goes to streets and villages to learn local folklore and customs; as an educator; she also visits local high schools to give lectures. She has turned what she has seen and felt into a fortune of life, and providing practical help to those around her with a warm and delicate heart. She metaphorizes herself as a “mother bear”, warming everyone with love and has become the “treasure teacher” for students.
Smile & Courage
GTIIT
推荐阅读
文：GTIIT传媒与公共事务部
图：Constance Van Horne、Jennie、GTIIT传媒与公共事务部
Text: GTIIT News & Public Affairs
Photos: Constance Van Horne, Jennie, GTIIT News & Public Affairs
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