philosophy of teaching

I believe that passion and enthusiasm in a teacher can transform reluctant students into participating students. In assignments, I encourage writing which will serve my students in their own fields of study and/or areas of personal interest, whether that be through creative or technical/professional writing. Learning from my own experience as a writing student, I promote real-world application for writing done in the classroom, such as writing for publication or field use, to create a greater sense of ownership and autonomy. I show students my passion and enthusiasm for writing by regularly writing and submitting my own work – both academic and creative – for publication and participating in department and community readings; by doing so, I model my dual role as both passionate teacher and happy, dedicated writer. Students participate in class as writers and thinkers of our own community as a class and the greater community of the university and society; this necessitates attendance, energy, and effort. In an email, a student told me, “You are really working me through every step of the way.” This email is affirming to me as a new teacher, and reminds me of how much I appreciate my own teachers, and colleagues, for working me through my own challenges as a writer and writing teacher. I believe writing can be taught, and I do my very best to teach it.