Most of us can point to a teacher who changed our lives in some way. And that teacher learned how to be a teacher from someone, which shows how a standout educator who trains future teachers can multiply their impact far beyond a single classroom. Mandi Collins is one of those standout educators.
This year, Collins, a teaching associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development, has been named a recipient of the F. Donald Tibbitts Distinguished Teacher Award. The award is one of the ҹɫÊÓƵ’s highest honors, recognizing excellence in teaching.
Since joining the University in 2016, Collins has played a key role in preparing future educators through NevadaTeach and other teacher prep programs. Her teaching is defined by student-centered learning environments that challenge and support students, while emphasizing connection, purpose and growth.
“Dr. Collin’s dedication to her students is extraordinary. She creates learning environments where students feel supported, challenged and inspired to succeed, and her impact is felt far beyond the classroom,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Jeff Thompson. “I am grateful for her work and proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.”
Executive Vice President and Provost Jeff Thompson surprised professor Mandi Collins in her classroom to present her award. Grounded in relationships and real-world impact
Collins career did not start in higher education: she spent more than 10 years teaching middle and high school science after graduating from the University in 2002.
“We are all learners,” Collins said. “Whether it is the transition from adolescence to college or college to adulthood, we are all developing and need authentic support systems.”
At the core of her teaching philosophy is the belief that students’ academic and emotional growth go hand in hand.
“When students feel valued and supported, they thrive,” Collins said. “That sense of belonging creates a ripple effect, shaping a culture for an entire class.”
The Three R’s
Collins’s teaching is also rooted in what she describes as the “three R’s”: risk-taking, reflection and resilience. By intentionally modeling instructional strategies and naming her teaching choices in real time, Collins helps future educators develop both content knowledge and a practical “toolbox” of teaching approaches they can carry into their own classrooms.
“When students feel valued and supported, they thrive,” Collins said. “That sense of belonging creates a ripple effect, shaping a culture for an entire class.”
A career of leadership and service
Her contributions have been recognized across the University and beyond. Collins is a recipient of the Paul and Judy Bible Teaching Excellence Award has been honored for her work in service-learning and community engagement, and was nominated for the Nevada Regents’ Teaching Award. She has received multiple grants, including one from the National Science Foundation centered on supporting math and science teachers across rural Nevada.
Lasting connections
For Collins, the most meaningful impact of her career is found in the relationships she builds with students.
“Knowing they have someone who has their back, and that someone is me, adds a lot of meaning to my work,” she said.
She hopes that her students carry that same mindset into their classrooms as they become educators.
“Every student in your class is someone’s whole world,” Collins said. “Your relationships and messaging can inspire or stifle a learner’s growth, confidence, sense of belonging, and love of learning.”
Q&A WITH MANDI COLLINS
What do you enjoy most about teaching at the University?
“Prior to coming to the University, my teaching experience was in the middle and high school science classroom. When I decided to take the leap from secondary to higher education, I was a little nervous that the students would be so different and that maybe I wouldn’t click with an older audience. I quickly realized that we are all learners and, whether it is the transition from adolescence to college or college to adulthood, we are all developing and need authentic support systems.
"I consider my role to be not only developing University students in their knowledge and pedagogies, but also supporting them as they navigate toward their careers. Everywhere I have taught, I have had the opportunity to build relationships that last longer than the time students are in and out of our classrooms. Being able to see our young adults navigate adulthood, build families, and continue developing in their careers is the biggest honor of my work. Additionally, my work here at the University is never stagnant. I am constantly challenged and have wonderful opportunities to continue growing as an educator.”
How has your teaching style evolved over the course of your career?
Students, regardless of level, need support for both their academic and emotional growth.
“Oh goodness, so many things. I have been doing this a long time and have taught everyone from 11-year-olds to graduate students. Every student, every class, and every school has different needs that must be met for learning to occur.
My philosophies of teaching have always been grounded in relationships. One of the hardest lessons I learned early in my career is that on the first day, you do not know who is in your space or what experiences they are bringing with them. Students, regardless of level, need support for both their academic and emotional growth.
What do you hope students take away from your classes?
“That relationships are everything and that every student in their class is someone’s whole world. As a teacher, you have many young, impressionable faces looking at you every moment. Your interactions matter. Your relationships and messaging can make or break the learning that happens and either inspire or stifle a learner’s growth, confidence, sense of belonging and love of learning, especially in STEM.”
Can you share a moment in your teaching career that has been especially meaningful?
“Every day I get to laugh out loud. Lately, my college students are just as obsessed with "6-7" as my own kids are, and I am reminded almost daily about the difference between ‘clocking it’ and ‘locking it.’ I still cannot seem to get it right.
"But in all honesty, the most meaningful moments are when students invite me into their lives. Being invited to weddings, receiving Christmas cards, getting emails with the newest baby pictures, and receiving those ‘call a friend’ texts in the middle of the day asking for help. Knowing they have someone who has their back, and that someone is me, adds a lot of meaning to my work, and is not something I take lightly.”
What strategies do you use to keep students engaged in the lecture setting?
“I try to make my teaching intentionally a bit meta. I explicitly surface both the content and the instructional choices behind how I present it. I explain why we are using particular strategies or structures, so students are not only engaged in the learning, but also seeing effective, equity-focused teaching practices modeled.
"I hope their experience as a student translates to their practice as a preservice teacher. Over the course of a semester, I intentionally model a variety of strategies, knowing that experiencing and naming these approaches helps students build a teaching toolbox they can draw from in their own lesson design.”
If you hadn’t gone into academia, what would you have pursued?
“I fell into teaching almost by accident and ended up in academia by an even bigger one. Somewhere along the way, teaching became who I am, and I would not change that path.
"But if I had to imagine an alternate career, it would be service-oriented. I have always been drawn to work that centers relationships and community, the kind where you show up for people, support them and make their lives a little better."
