As I outlined in my teaching philosophy, I have made it a central focus to adapt to student need in the classroom by respecting and responding to students’ lived realities and to continually grow as an instructor. In order to continue developing as a teacher and to help students make the kind of connections that drove my personal discovery of lifelong learning, I have participated in many pedagogical training opportunities, including the two-year seminar series, “A Living Laboratory: Revitalizing General Education for a 21st-Century College of Technology.” In these intensive seminars, my colleagues and I studied high-impact educational practices (George D. Kuh) and other innovative teaching strategies such as service learning, writing intensive courses, place-based learning, collaborative learning, first-year learning communities, and open digital pedagogy. I often return to the strategies from these books and seminars when I encounter challenges so that I can create grounded, engaged, and socially connected classrooms.
As an instructor of composition and writing-intensive literature courses, I strive to achieve student learning outcomes by teaching writing as a process and fostering critical thinking. To emphasize that writing is a process, I structure my composition classes around the stages of writing—invention, drafting, peer review, and revision. The invention and drafting process includes step-by-step, low stakes assignments that take students from brainstorming for ideas through putting together a rough draft. Next, students work on giving and receiving constructive feedback in peer-review workshops and complete at least one revision before submitting a final draft. This process not only takes some of the anxiety out of writing, but it provides students with a skill-set that transfers to other courses and professional tasks. Further, during the invention process, students read, analyze, and critique model writing samples. This not only allows them to prepare for the mode of reading and analysis needed for peer-review workshops but it also gives them the opportunity to critique professional writing as a peer, thereby fostering confidence and agency during the reading and writing process.
Creating a vibrant classroom involves variety in both activity and in media forms. To keep students engaged and entertained, I work to incorporate various technologies. For each course I teach, I create an OpenLab site where students can find course materials (such as readings, handouts, and lecture notes), links to outside resources, assignment instructions, announcements, and forums for discussion. This site serves as a hub for student interaction and support since students know that they can always visit our OpenLab site to catch up on material they missed, to find help with questions, and to participate in virtual classroom discussions between meeting times. I believe the site encourages students to take responsibility for their education because it provides them with a method for staying involved in and caught up on the class activities and assignments. For example, if they are too shy to participate in in-class discussions they can participate in asynchronous online discussion, or if they have lost handouts, missed a lecture, or forgot to write down a homework assignment they know where to look so they can be as prepared as possible for the next class meeting.
I also use a variety of media technologies to present information in visually stimulating ways. For example, in addition to utilizing the classroom chalkboard or whiteboard, I often create interactive lectures using PowerPoint slides that integrate discussion questions, prompts for paired or group work, individual writing and brainstorming tasks, short videos, and images to help contextualize our discussion or to serve as visual texts for analysis.
Finally, my responsibility to the students does not end when I walk out of the classroom. I support student growth beyond the classroom via my dedication to offering flexible office hours and supporting student success more broadly. In addition to my regular weekly office hours, I make it clear to my students that they can schedule an appointment to meet with me on the days and times that work with their busy schedules. Often students who are juggling the multiple obligations of classes, work, and family life need to make special appointments rather than stop by office hours, and I feel it is important to respect their obligations by arranging meeting times that work for them. This creates a rapport of mutual respect and facilitates student learning via one-on-one conferencing. Additionally, I have written many letters of recommendation for my students, including letters for academic programs, scholarships, and employment, and I work with students outside of class to submit their writing to the Literary Arts Festival writing competition, City Tech Writer, and the Student Research Poster Session.
