Teaching

I equip students to become creators—not just consumers—of sociological knowledge. My approach centers project-based learning, explicit writing instruction, and professional mentorship.

Penn Prize for Excellence in Teaching by Graduate Students

University of Pennsylvania, Teaching Assistant

Introduction to Sociology (fall 2022, spring 2023)

Introduction to Sociological Research Methods (fall 2020, spring 2021)

University of Pennsylvania, Course Development Teaching Assistant

Redesigned Introduction to Sociological Research Methods for a flipped classroom model, adapting it for remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic (summer 2020)

The Family

• Privileged Dependence, Precarious Autonomy (University of Pennsylvania, 2022; Wake Forest University, 2023; Columbia University, 2023; Tufts University, 2023)

• The Family: Diversity and Inequality (University of Cincinnati, 2023; Calvin University, 2023)

• The Family and Social Reproduction (University of Pennsylvania, 2022)

Research Methods

• Interviewing: Behind the Scenes (Harvard University, 2024)

Race and Ethnicity

• Conceptualizations of Race: Essentialism and Constructivism (Dartmouth College, 2023; Emory University, 2023)

Education

• Inequality in Higher Education (University of Pennsylvania, 2023)

• Religion and Spirituality in Higher Education (Messiah University, 2021)

Mini Course in Inclusive and Equitable Teaching

Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Pennsylvania (2021)

Teaching Certificate

Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Pennsylvania (2021)

Curriculum Development: Religion Modules for non-Sociology of Religion Courses

Global Religion Research Initiative, University of Notre Dame (2019)

Student Testimonials

“Elena G. van Stee is the best TA I've had in my experience at Penn because she always finds a way to be available to the students that need her. For example, In the class I was struggling with many things concerning the structure of the class, given that it was my first class I'd taken as a freshman. Elena helped me with my papers and my research for my project and always gave me more help than I needed, which only helped me in the end. I believe that she works the hardest out of any TA on or off campus because she was the only one who was willing to stick her head out for me and look out for me at Penn.”

“Elena is truly the most amazing TA I have ever had in my four semesters at Penn. Aside from her warm demeanor and inclusive attitude, she was genuinely there to help me and every student 100% of the time. I have never formed any real relationship with a TA prior to my experience in this course due to Elena's willingness to meet with me or any other student at all times to ensure we could succeed in the course. Aside from being readily available, Elena genuinely was engaged in every students' work. She would send video feedback on assignments dissecting our analysis and giving advice as well as sending over articles or survey links that she thought might benefit each individual research project. Elena's dedication to helping each student in an approachable and kind way truly makes her stand out as a TA.”

“In addition to being a stand-out instructor who clearly taught most of the material of the course, she was also overwhelmingly compassionate, thoughtful, and kind. Elena always made herself available to discuss projects and answer questions, and clearly cared about having positive relationships with her students. I always felt that I could approach her with my questions and ideas and that she recognized my effort and interest in her course. It was great - especially during a pandemic and online learning- to have this kind of mentorship and recognition from an instructor. She made me feel valued and was very helpful in the formation of my sociological research project. Whenever I met with her, she remembered all aspects of my project and was fully engaged in our conversations about our joint research interests.”

“Elena was one of the most interactive and supportive TA's that I have ever had. She genuinely cares about the wellbeing and the success of her students and her feedback proves it. In my sociology class, Elena not only provided in-depth feedback to my written work, she also filmed a short video explaining what I did well and which areas needed improvement. During office hours, Elena took the time to truly understand the scope and purpose of my research so that she could provide me with suggestions that would really take my research to the next level. Elena is a TA that cares deeply about her students' opinions, so much so that she even sent out a mid semester evaluation to gauge how her student's were feeling about the class and how she could best support us through the rest of the semester. During recitations, Elena would create interactive examples of real data sets to help us understand how to conduct research that would effectively answer our research question.”