Shalom Chalson

Interested in ‘why’ questions, the deeper meaning of life and puzzles, it was almost inevitable that Shalom Chalson would fall in love with Philosophy. Ms Chalson, a PhD Candidate in the ANU School of Philosophy, has now been honoured with a Highly Commended recognition at the annual Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence inTutoring or Demonstrating.

Professor Brian P. Schmidt AC, Vice-Chancellor and President of the Australian National University once remarked in 2019, “These educators are at the frontier of new educational practices as well as providing their own time and expertise to support their students. In short, they are key to providing an ANU experience that sets the standard for the University and the nation.”

Surprised by the nomination, the aspiring academic remarks, “I feel very privileged to have been nominated. Reading the nominators’ comments about my teaching was a lovely experience.” Adding, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to further my studies at ANU. The department is warm and wonderful, and I’ve learned a lot from the faculty and fellow graduate students.”

After completing her studies at Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore, Ms Chalson credits the guidance and support of her educators for inspiring her to travel down the same path. Now, on the other side of the lectern at ANU, Chalson offers, “for teaching to go well, the learning environment has to be inclusive and warm, and everyone’s got to have a chance of adding to the discussion.”

The pandemic, a backdrop to her classroom, intensified the need for active discussion. She comments, “students faced huge amounts of stress during this time, often finding it difficult to dive right into discussion. I found devoting some time to individual reflection on the week’s lecture or topic at the start of the class helpful for getting students to orient their thinking and organise their thoughts.”

Ms Chalson steered philosophical discussions on gender and delved into the intricate nuances of legal theory. “I made sure that tutorial questions were of increasing depth and complexity. We’d start with a descriptive question that requires identifying what students have read in a paper or heard in a lecture. So we’d begin with questions that are relatively easy to think about. Moving on to questions that require developing arguments by the end of the tutorial. Easing students into discussing topics can encourage collaborative learning by lowering the stakes, and giving students material of their own to scaffold on,” Ms Chalson comments.

Accrediting the nomination to the support of various academics at the ANU, Ms Chalson says, “I feel very indebted to Professor Katie Steele in the School of Philosophy. I’ve gotten the chance to explore my various interests, and grow as a student of philosophy, under her supervision. I’m also indebted to the course convenors I’ve tutored for at ANU: Dr Rachael Brown, Dr Nathan Emmerich, Associate Professor Joshua Neoh, Professor Desmond Manderson, and in particular, Professor Fiona Jenkins.

Having grappled with self-doubt as a student, Ms Chalson understands all too well, "If people encourage you to believe in yourself, that can make a difference. If people encourage you to think that it's not about innate ability, that can make a difference. And I think really great teaching can make a difference."

Currently, a spotlight is cast on Ms Chalson's achievements as part of a traveling exhibition celebrating exemplary ANU educators.2023 Nominations for the VC Award for Educational Excellence is open 1 September to 9 October.