Teaching
Teaching Interests
My teaching interests are primarily in financial topics and data analytics. Based on my prior experience and research interests, I believe teaching financial accounting or data analytics courses would best allow me to integrate research and teaching; however, I believe I will be an effective instructor regardless of the topic and will be flexible with my teaching preferences to fit the department’s needs.
Teaching Experience
Course: Fundamental of Financial Accounting (ACC 311) at the University of Texas at Austin; Summer 2021 (virtual class of 23 students)
Ratings:
Instructor Rating: 4.6/5.0
Course Rating: 4.6/5.0
Select student feedback:
"Laura is a great teacher! I have never understood accounting as well before because she explains everything clearly, concisely and emphasizes key points that aid my learning."
"Professor Kettell definitely helped me understand the material during class and office hours. She made sure everyone understood the slide before continuing and I liked her way of teaching"
"This was my first accounting course, and I thought it was taught very well. Professor Kettell did a wonderful job, though in the beginning it was daunting. I love the small videos regarding real world scenarios and topics that are included within the lecture materials."
"Professor Kettell provided a very interesting and challenging course. As a non-business major, I feel that I was able to get a solid overview of corporate accounting. The course was rigorous, and Professor Kettell had high expectations, but that only pushed me to work harder. I enjoyed this course, and feel it was a very worthwhile experience."
Other
I was the instructor for the Accounting Bootcamp at the University of Texas at Austin; Summer 2021/2022 (in-person class of ~50 students)
This is a one day intensive course that focuses on financial accounting topics and prepares students to enter the Masters of Professional Accounting program.
TA Experience
Courses:
Financial Accounting Standards and Analysis II (Professor John McInnis); The University of Texas at Austin; 2019-Present
Financial Accounting Concepts and Research (Professor Sara Toynbee); The University of Texas at Austin; 2018
Auditing (Professor Amal Shehata); New York University; 2016
Principles of Financial Accounting (Professor Xiaojing Meng); New York University; 2016
Principles of Financial Accounting (Professor Pepa Kraft); New York University; 2015
Teaching Philosophy
My goal as an accounting instructor is three-fold. First, I hope to help my students develop a “real world” skillset. For example, I will show my students how to look-up accounting standards in the FASB codification, interpret the language, and apply the information to abstract cases. I will also weave in data analytics demonstrations to familiarize students with summarizing and visualizing big datasets. Second, I plan to instill in my students the importance of professional integrity. Financial statement users rely on the information accountants create and audit to make investment decisions, and I want my students to take that responsibility seriously. Finally, I hope to create a safe classroom environment where students of all backgrounds feel comfortable participating in group projects, asking questions during class, and sharing opinions during case discussions.