February 25, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College professor Leigh Kleinert prioritizes community building in her classes to ensure the success of her students
Always remember, at GRCC, you are surrounded by people who want you to be successful and are ready to walk with you on your educational pathway. GRCC students have access to talented faculty members who are experts in their fields.
Professor Kleinert's excitement for teaching stems from meeting people both in and out of the classroom. But her expertise comes from a lifelong passion for education, zoology and biology.
She teaches human anatomy and physiology courses in her role as a biology faculty member at GRCC. She also has expertise in zoology and academic service learning, and has recently stepped into the role of interim associate dean in the School of Arts and Sciences.
Kleinert builds connections among her students, despite the pandemic, by volunteering to teach in-person classes along with her online classes.
“I am trying to connect students as much as I can,” she said. “In my online classes I use exam reviews, virtual office hours and small study groups.”
Whether online or in person, you’ll find that almost all of GRCC’s biology courses have a hands-on laboratory component, and they all present students with real life applications for what they are learning. But Kleinert knows this is not the only reason why her students receive an education second to none.
“The strength of our courses is that they are taught by instructors with incredible passion and enthusiasm for the subject,” she said.
Kleinert knew from personal experience that providing ways for students in her classes to build a community is important.
“I learned through trial and error that when learning the anatomy and physiology of the body: studying with others really does help!” she said. “When I started graduate school I was new to the area and knew no one. Also, many folks in my small program were younger than me and I felt like I could study better on my own. In my second semester, when I finally happened into a study group, I learned that the group helped me identify what I did not know, taught me different ways to learn, and I helped teach them things I knew which helped me learn better. I also had some familiar faces on campus after that.”
Kleinert’s passion for education and biology started early and did not waiver.
“I began college with a plan to work in a zoo on captive breeding and species survival,” she said. “I contemplated changing to education my sophomore year. I applied to the College of Education and was accepted; many of my friends were denied or waited-listed. I was still so unsure, so I turned down my spot and completed by B.S. in zoology over the next couple years. In a twisty road over the next few years. It led me straight to education.”
Education is a field Kleinert is extremely passionate about, and she would not trade working with students for any other job. Her mantra is, “Know who I am and be my authentic self in the classroom; teach to my heart.”
She’s inspired by the work of Parker Palmer, an activist who focuses on issues like education, community and social change. Kleinert also is inspired by her parents, who taught her about empathy, encouraging her to picture things from someone else's perspective before judging them.
“I do not think I realized how wise they really are until I became a teacher and a parent,” she said.
Kleinert earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Michigan State University and her Master of Health Science degree in Biomedical Sciences from Grand Valley State University.
She began teaching at GRCC as an adjunct faculty member, and moved into a full-time faculty role in 2004.
Kleinert balances her role as a parent, and her passion for education and biology, with outdoor activities, cooking and traveling. And when that is not enough, she looks to her own personal heroes, her parents, as a compass.
“I look to them because they have suffered through adversity and taught me how to look at the experiences as how it has made them stronger and the positive lessons from those experiences,” she said.