Faculty Feature: Meet Annette Moore

With more than 20 years as a full-time instructor with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Annette Moore is a Teaching Professor and Faculty Fellow. Her research interests focus on strengthening family bonds through participation in family recreation and service learning and engagement with the community.

Where were you born and where have you lived?

I grew up in central Pennsylvania, with a view of Mount Nittany out my window. My husband and I enjoyed living in several places around the country before settling in Raleigh: outside of Boston, MA; Albuquerque, NM; Fort Collins, CO; and Derry, NH. We live in a beautiful and diverse country, and I have been blessed to have experienced so much of it.

What world and national events have significantly influenced your life?

The Berlin Wall coming down in 1989 was a big one for me. I had been through Checkpoint Charlie with my high school band in the mid-70’s, and had visited distant relatives in Poland in 1987, going through a similar checkpoint. The stark reality that some humans live in a society that was so heavily monitored and policed shook me. In spring 1990, I had the opportunity to return to Europe with my second grade daughter while the wall was coming down. We chipped away pieces of it with a borrowed hammer, in a tiny way contributing to bringing freedom to a part of the world that had been imprisoned. This experience made me realize the peaceful sharing (and differing) of ideas, opinions, and viewpoints is incredibly valuable for healthy societies.

As a faculty fellow, how have things changed during your time in PRTM?

Much has changed in PRTM since I started teaching part-time in 1992. My early career students would tell you how much their hands hurt from all the notes they took in my courses. (I think I took a breath periodically during class, but maybe not…) I wrote on the chalkboard a lot, and overhead projectors were an essential teaching tool. PRT 358 (Recreation Program Planning) was a fall-only class, as we didn’t have the enrollment to offer it both semesters. Our department has grown significantly. Our teaching is much more engaging, technology-enhanced, and applied now, which benefits everyone. Our faculty is much larger now than when I started, but their care for our students, community, profession, and colleagues is still intentional and remarkable.

Who have been your role models? What did you admire about them?

My grandmother made an indelible mark on me from an early age. Because she lived with us, I had the opportunity to learn many practical skills from her. I watched how she lived, the care she poured into our family, and the importance of faith and prayer. Born in the late 1880’s and having experienced numerous challenging personal and world events, my grandmother lived a life of peace, joy, perseverance, service, and sacrifice. I am still learning from her and the example she set for me and my siblings.

My great-aunt (after whom I was named, as we shared mutual birthdays) was another significant role model for me. We got to visit Auntie about once a year, and I never wanted to leave her house. With undivided attention, she would sit at the edge of her chair, leaning forward to ask about everything going on in my life. I felt so loved and cared about – because I was. I still aspire to be like her.

What gives you the greatest joy and fulfillment?

Joyful and fulfilling experiences abound for me as a faculty member in PRTM! I love seeing students in my Intro class gain inspiration and excitement for our profession as the semester progresses. Watching Recreation Program Planning student groups click as they work together to plan, create, and deliver service-learning programs for clientele at their partnering agencies is exciting to me, and for them!

Advising is one of my favorite times of the school year. I take great joy in having these 1:1 conversations and celebrating not only graduation but remarkable growth in advisees in the four years they have been with us. I am so honored to be able to walk with them through this season of their lives.

As faculty advisor to Rho Phi Lambda Honor Society Alpha Chapter, I have been incredibly blessed to work with club members to prepare and present educational sessions for professional conferences, host the silent auction at PRTM Alumni + Friends Celebrations, and coordinate the City of Raleigh Egg Hunt in conjunction with Specialized Recreation and Inclusion Services. I love seeing them grow personally and professionally through their involvement in Rho Phi Lambda.

My colleagues also bring me much joy ~ graduate students discovering and developing their passions; young faculty and staff launching their careers; mid-career folks expanding horizons in outreach, student services, teaching and research, to the benefit of so many; and those of us who have been here a while, seeing career-long investments beautifully flourishing; developing many sweet friendships along the way ~ this all brings me so much joy and fulfillment!

Probably the most satisfying and rewarding aspects of my job has been working with undergraduate Course Assistants in my classes. Valued members of the leadership team, these students co-create assignments and in-class activities (many of which they lead), critique and improve previous lecture plans, serve as mentors for current students, and teach classes if I am unable to attend. Our classes are more effective and enjoyable due to their guidance and participation. To watch Course Assistants gain confidence, public speaking and management skills, and leadership experience brings me such joy ~ and then to be able to team up with them as alums by having them be guest speakers, Community Partners, or participants at alumni events. I am so humbled and grateful to still have these remarkable people in my life!