Spring 2025 Classes

ACCT 010: Financial Accounting | Section 34464 | MW 10:55 AM – 1:25 PM

ACC 011: Managerial Accounting | Section 34483 | TTH 10:55 AM– 1:25 PM

Textbooks: OER (Open Educational Resources) are used for all my sections. 

Biography

Initially, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study in college. Like many students, I was just figuring things out and happened to enroll in an accounting class—selecting the class by going through the class schedule alphabetically, of course! But from the moment I encountered debits and credits and the satisfying world of checks and balances, I was hooked. Accounting wasn’t just numbers; it was a perfect puzzle begging to be solved!

Soon, I started tutoring Accounting (in addition to Spanish and Statistics) at the college’s Tutoring Center. It was here that my passion for helping others really took root and where I made the promise to myself that I’d return to the community college world one day, but next time as a teacher.

After that, it was full speed ahead! I transferred to UC Riverside (Go Highlanders!) to finish my undergraduate degree in business with—you guessed it—a concentration in accounting. After graduation, I jumped into public accounting at a mid-tier firm, where I specialized in taxation. While there, I spent many long hours studying for the CPA exam. My favorite study spot? The library at Cal State Long Beach (Go Beach!), where I found focus among the stacks and aisles of books.

Earning my CPA license was a proud moment, but I was just getting started. I transitioned into corporate accounting and joined Hyundai Motor America, where I geeked out over cars while working in general accounting and later in financial forecasting, planning, and analysis. But while crunching numbers for an international company, I decided it was time to hit the books again and pursue my master’s degree at UC Irvine (Zot, Zot Anteaters!).

Then came the best part of my journey, returning to higher education to teach! And not just teaching at any college—I was fortunate to come back to the very place where it all started: West Valley College! Now, I have the joy of sharing the joy of accounting with other students who are just starting off on their own journeys. Yes, my path has led me right back to West Valley and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Education

MBA, Entrepreneurship
UC Irvine

BS, Business Administration
UC Riverside

Professional Presentations

Thompson, T. (2023). How I Motivated My Late-Start Class. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Portland, OR. 

Thompson, T. (2021). Coffee, Community, & Covid. Presented at Mission College’s All College Day, Santa Clara, CA.

Thompson, T. (2020). Leading Virtual Classes. Presented at Mission College’s All College Day, Santa Clara, CA.

Thompson, T. (2019). Engaging Students Through Non-Traditional Methods. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Ft. Worth, TX.

Thompson, T. & Annand, D. (2019). Development of OER-based Introductory Financial Accounting Text Based on US GAAP. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Ft. Worth, TX.

Thompson, T. & Liu, J. (2010). Service Learning Through VITA. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Carefree, AZ.

Awards

  • Excellence Award for Teaching, Mission College, 2022
  • Excellence Award for Service to the Community, Mission College, 2019
  • Program Excellence -Accounting Program, Mission College, 2018
  • "Newbie" Excellence, Mission College, 2015
  • Puck Award for Innovation, Chaffey College, 2010
  • Gold Presidential Award -White House Award for Community Service, 2010
  • Gold Presidential Award -White House Award for Community Service, 2009

Publications/ Interviews

Thompson, Teresa. "Joyful Connections Through Intentional Teaching Practices”. Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast. Episode 539. October 10, 2024.

Thompson, Teresa. "OER is Full of Errors and I'm OK With It" Faculty Focus. September 23, 2024.

Thompson, Teresa. “Community in the Classroom” Faculty Focus. September 4, 2024.

Thompson, Teresa. “The Unexpected Benefits of Play” Faculty Focus. August 22, 2024.

Thompson, Teresa. “What a Cool Syllabus...But is It Accessible?” Faculty Focus. September 1, 2023.

Thompson, Teresa. “The Importance of a Good Bedside Manner for Doctors Teachers, Part 1”. Faculty Focus. March 1, 2023.

Thompson, Teresa. “The Importance of a Good Bedside Manner for Doctors Teachers, Part 2”. Faculty Focus. March 3, 2023.

Annand, David and Teresa Thompson. Introduction to Financial Accounting. Creative Commons License, Attribution-Non-commercial-Share Alike 4.0 Canada, 2019.

Academic/Professional Affiliations

Favorite Books

  • For Work: "Invisible Learning" by David Franklin
  • For Fun: "Winterkeep" by Kristin Cashore

Favorite Quote

"I'd rather be a brave girl than a nice girl" -Viola Davis, in conversation at NABA Conference (2024).

Last Updated 11/18/24