My pedagogy examines cultural objects, identity, and space. I'm interested in how students can engage in discussions following the current theoretical discourse and, secondarily, learn to create worlds by accessing their creativity. Achieving these educational goals can be done through fearless examination and utilization of current philosophies which shape society and instituting a praxis of “play” in regards to the writing process.

 

As I’ve taught for the past decade I have found my teacherly style in relating a particular competency I find most valuable: cultural examination. Specifically, my teaching “brand” is heavily outlined within the first 10 minutes of class when I ask students to engage with a work of art/culture (music video, 2 dimensional visual art, poem, advertisement, musical composition) and deploy a literary/critical theory and other lenses of analysis to present their impressions of that work to the class. This activity has proven to increase their reading comprehension, level of engagement with writing assignments, and overall quality of work in the class--whether oral or written. (See the breakdown of this activity with sample outcomes as a document attachment and on my website under “Theory and Pedagogy”).

 

In my classroom we’ve examined and experimented with fairy tales and dystopian science fiction while also supplementing readings of prominent philosophers for students to grasp how cultural critics enter into a long conversation and to help students understand their own identities--both as new, formal academics and people positioned inside of their communities.  

 

The biggest compliment that can come from a student, in my opinion, is that the teacher helps them see the same world in new ways, their everyday lives in new ways.