I am passionate about teaching and engaging with students.

I have six years of experience teaching at the university level (2018 to present). I am currently an instructor for the following classes at the University of Nebraska Omaha: Introduction to Political Science; Introduction to Comparative Politics; Gender and Global Politics; and International Conflict Resolution. At the University of Virginia, I also designed and led my own classes as an instructor in Globalization and European Politics; and Populism and Protest Politics.

I worked as a teaching assistant in the UVa Politics department in the following classes: Introduction to Comparative Politics; Politics of Western Europe; and Politics of Developing Areas, as well as in the English department: Global Advocacy, Democracy, and Public Narrative. In these classes, I delivered lectures and presentations at points, however I see my main role as a guide in helping students to explore their ideas, develop their critical thinking, and become autonomous learners.

I have three further years of experience prior to the university level, teaching English language in schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina (July to December 2014), and Valladolid, Spain (January to August 2015), and private classes in Barcelona, Spain (September 2015 to July 2017). I have worked with students of all ages, from 3 years old to 80.

Overall, I am especially passionate about working with underprivileged students; first gen, students of color, queer students, disabled students, and other marginalized identities. My main goal is to provide students with compassionate and encouraging mentorship.

Here’s what some students have to say after taking classes with me:

I love her enthusiasm towards political science and her knowledge of political science. I have never had a professor be so knowledgeable about not only the contents of the current class, but topics related to political science outside of the class contents. Her teaching method was valuable, and not reading directly off the slide was extremely valuable to my attention span. I would take every class she taught. Best professor I have had at UNO and don't think she can be topped.

I love how interactive this professor was for the students and showed so much care for us. She was always willing to answer our questions and help us above and beyond. She was also willing to meet with us outside of class for any and all help. Overall, she was by far the one of the best professors I had and I would choose to have her as my professor again in a heartbeat. She went above and beyond.

Dr. Bonsall is excellent both as a teacher and as a mentor to her students. She chats with us and establishes a friendly atmosphere and also promotes participation of everyone during class, which incentivizes us to pay attention and take detailed notes. Overall she's a lovely and knowledgeable instructor who greatly helped me secure a decent grade in this class.

During a period of health crises, there were moments when education felt like a privilege I didn't deserve. However, the understanding and support provided by Dr. Bonsall during this time were invaluable. Despite my struggles, she remained empathetic and accommodating, which made a significant difference in my ability to navigate through the difficulties I was facing. As a first-generation student dealing with external pressures and uncertainties, including my health challenges, there were moments when I found it hard to engage fully in my education. Yet, Dr. Bonsall’s compassionate approach helped me feel supported and valued. Her willingness to listen, even during times when communication was difficult for me, underscored her commitment to my success as a student. In essence, having a professor who was understanding and supportive during my crisis was essential to my learning experience. Her empathy and flexibility allowed me to overcome obstacles and continue progressing in my studies. We need more educators like Dr. Bonsall, who prioritize the well-being and success of their students above all else.

She is very knowledgeable and knows how to share that knowledge in a way that is educational and not exclusive to students’ own political viewpoints. A very delicate balancing act was held where she taught subjects that many have strong opinions on in a manner where the class could have calm and reasonable dialogues. She also brought many differing views to the forefront, explaining their origins and how they operate/have operated in the past.

Dr. Bonsall is a very engaging instructor and shows genuine interest in the success of all of her students. She used different kinds of materials, exercises, etc. to make sure the class was engaging and effective. Dr. Bonsall is accommodating and willing to work with students to ensure that we are as successful as possible. She is one of the best, if not the best instructor I have had at UNO. This class made me think about perspectives other than my own and was all-around enjoyable.

Sally Bonsall is one of the best instructors I have had at UVA, much better than most of the tenured professors who have taught my politics courses. Sally Bonsall isn't afraid to voice her personal opinions of each topic, but she also is very receptive to differing opinions. Each class, active participation was encouraged to foster learning and conversation. Without exaggerating, the students in this class could not have been more different. With all this in mind, we all got along and freely/actively discussed very divisive and argumentative topics on a daily basis. This is because of the environment Sally Bonsall creates in her classes.

I really enjoyed this course. I found it very fun and engaging. You are one of my favorite professors I have had at UVA. You always prioritize student learning and want them to feel at ease. I am someone who is always worried about my grades and how I perform on assignments. This course made it really easy for me to engage with the material and just learn without feeling a lot of anxiety.I appreciated how Dr. Bonsall respected everyone's opinions and political orientations. Dr. Bonsall encouraged students to talk about their own backgrounds and experiences to contribute to the course material. They made sure everyone had the opportunity to ask questions and feel included in the discussions. Dr. Bonsall addressed many different perspectives in the course materials to welcome all types of opinions about the political topics we were studying.

I had to ask Dr. Bonsall for extra accommodations for my work schedule and she was more than accommodating. She took time out of her scheduled hours on multiple occasions, including on weekends to make sure I was up to speed and comfortable with the material.

I loved Dr. Bonsall, cannot say enough about how she actually cares about her students succeeding and tried to help us understand the material as best as possible.

Sally is the best TA I have ever had. She is destined to be a Professor once she finishes her degree. She cares so much about the well being of all of her students and was amazing at teaching the material in a very thorough manner that went way beyond what we learned in class which helped us tremendously for exams and our overall understanding of the material.

I would like them to know that Sally was the best TA I have had in college and was an integral part of my experience in this course. The section was always productive and so were office hours. I have really enjoyed class and it made me much more excited about the topic.

I genuinely loved coming to my section meetings, which I often do not say about other classes with discussion sections. Sally was so accommodating, friendly, and engaging in a way that made class honestly enjoyable and an awesome learning environment. Could not have had a better experience!

Classes over Zoom can sometimes be limiting I feel, but this class felt very engaging despite this and I thoroughly enjoyed it.