Amy Gratch Hoyle, PhD, started working at Cabrini in the summer of 2012 collaborating with another 
faculty member to develop the core courses for the Master of Education program. She then began teaching full-time in the fall 2012 semester. Hoyle currently teaches education courses online and face-to-face for both the MEd program and the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program. Currently, her research focus is learning more about the pedagogical strategies that create space for having courageous conversations about race and racism. She is studying how both faculty and students engage in these conversations face-to-face and in online discussions.
Do you have a favorite subject matter – or lesson – that you teach?
I am fortunate because I love teaching all of my courses at Cabrini. All of my courses are in disciplines I have studied at great length and I have been able to develop each of the courses myself. Having said that, more specifically what is my favorite subject matter? So much of what I teach has to do with structural inequality and how our educational system perpetuates this. I love teaching ways educators can advocate for change, things we can do in our classrooms and beyond to challenge inequities.
What is your go-to advice for Cabrini students?
One of the things I love about Cabrini is that Cabrini faculty are always available to answer student questions. I encourage all students to reach out to faculty whenever they have questions or concerns. I often teach intensive 8-week courses and don’t want my students to waste time wondering about course requirements or feeling confused about course material, so I tell them repeatedly to contact me the moment they run into any kind of problem.
When you’re not on campus how do you like to spend your free time?
More than anything I love spending time with my two children. We hike and swim and go to lots of concerts. We especially enjoy outdoor concerts in the summer.
What was the first concert you attended?
I have been going to concerts since I was very young. My parents took me and my siblings to lots of outdoor concerts – mostly the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. My first “rock” concert was Chicago. Since then I have seen hundreds of shows including Eric Clapton, Santana, Pearl Jam, Wilco, U2, Dawes, The Shins, and many more. Last year I took my daughter to see Ed Sheeran and watched her escape into the music the way I have done so many times.
What is your favorite family tradition and why?
I was born and raised in Michigan and every summer my kids and I go to Michigan to spend time with family and friends. My mother and many of my siblings and their families live in Michigan, and spending time with them is rejuvenating. I love going home and showing my kids my old stomping grounds. They love having fun with Grandma, aunts, uncles, and many cousins.