Convocation Spotlight: Rachelle Pratt

Dental hygiene instructor Rachelle Pratt

When Rachelle Pratt began her career in the dental hygiene profession little did she know her chosen path would lead her to a life-long passion of learning and teaching.

Pratt graduated with her diploma in dental hygiene in 1997, her bachelor of science in dental hygiene in 2002, and today - June 12 - she is graduating with her masters of education in health science education.

What drew you toward teaching dental hygiene?

I enjoyed working in a private clinical practice, but after I finished my bachelor's degree and worked closely with the dental hygiene professors at the U of A, I thought teaching would be a great next step. A couple of instructors put me on this path and said I should apply for the position. I've been teaching in the undergraduate program since 2002. I discovered that this is where the energy and discovery is, and figuring out how to teach and have people learn was really fascinating to me.

What did you enjoy the most about your master's program?

The program I was in focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning. It was offered through educational psychology. It was a very collaborative cohort with people from different health care backgrounds. It was really engaging, and more cooperative and collaborative. We were able to look at a case or paper in any of the health fields with varying perspectives from all fields.

How are you going to impact teaching and learning?

I've always had a strong clinical focus but now I can bring more pieces of research and focus on learning in environments other than clinic. We have students that know they want to enrol in graduate studies, and I feel I can guide them and help them find the path they are interested in. Education is woven in to our entire lives. Throughout my education, I've learned how to teach, learn, lead, work, and my learning is not done. This is just one of my pieces in my education. Lifelong learning isn't something that we just say, but it's important to do.

What drew you toward choosing dental hygiene as a career path?

My mom was a nurse, so I had grown up thinking of some way to care for people and to be a part of their health journey. Dental hygiene just flowed really easily. I had always been a part of this field as a patient, and discovered the potential impact of overall health and your mouth. Dental hygiene has grown as a profession. It's focused on evidence-based learning and interactions with other health care providers.