TEACHING PHILOSOPHY, briefly

I find myself in a strange situation. I was raised in the French school system overseas, yet find myself, after many years as an editor, teaching English. This is only strange, however, if one looks just at the surface facts of my life. And this is precisely the point I want to convey to my students: what is on the surface often has deep and complex roots, and uncovering these roots is what enriches their writing. So at the core of my philosophy is reflective practice, both mine and that of my students. To that end, inquiry is a foundation, as is exploration through writing, talking, reading, and listening. From a psychological perspective, having a foundation to return to makes exploration safer and less problematic, especially in the writing classroom. Students can always return to what they know best, regardless of whether they think it actually works best for them. A problem cannot be addressed if none is identified, however, and so the key to my classroom is self-identification, which promotes, even if it does not guarantee, investment and engagement. Students’ analysis of their own idiosyncratic writing process will always be a starting point for me, even if I am teaching a non-composition class (e.g., literature, business). Also, because a foundation of reflective practice is repetition, having students return continually to a definition, examination, and analysis of their own processes builds a stronger base for them to become adaptive thinkers, as well as increasing their confidence. In addition, technologies and the digital realm add possibilities for exploration, definition, and critical thinking by providing backboards against which to test old waters and springboards from which to dive into new waters. I believe that I have a responsibility to blend teaching and technology because that is the world my students not only already live in but will continue to live in long after class is over.

(top, philosophy, current, past, future, tutoring)

CURRENT CLASSES

Composition (ENG 101), Spring 2007
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
In this required class, students learn about the stages and nature of the writing process; become aware of audience (specifically academic) and rhetorical situation; become familiar with library and other technologies in support of their writing; and read, analyze, and create a variety of non-fiction texts.

Textbook:
Write To Learn (8th ed.), Donald Murray
Major Essays:
Reading and Writing Literacy/Writing Process Essay
Personal Essay exploring student-chosen topic
In-class presentation on same topic
Research Essay (two drafts) on same topic
Handbook Review

(top, philosophy, current, past, future, tutoring)

PAST CLASSES

Composition (ENG 101), Fall 2006
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
In this required class, students learn about the stages and nature of the writing process; become aware of audience (specifically academic) and rhetorical situation; become familiar with library and other technologies in support of their writing; and read, analyze, and create a variety of non-fiction texts.

Textbook:
The Curious Writer, Bruce Ballenger
Major Essays:
2 Writing Process Essays (beginning and end of semester)
Personal Essay exploring student-chosen topic
Argument Essay on same topic
In-class presentation on same topic
Research Essay (two drafts) on same topic
Handbook Review

(top, philosophy, current, past, future, tutoring)

FUTURE CLASSES

These are classes I would like to teach someday.

Literacy Narrative
Defining one’s literacy can serve as a foundation for everything else we do, regardless of discipline or medium. As a strong believer in reflective practice, I would like to focus on this one central assignment, with appropriate tangents along the way, as a fulfilling way of giving students and teacher the time to shape a piece through multiple revisions.

Jumpy Literature
This class would focus on non-linear fiction, both print and hypertext, including works by Julio Cortazar, Jeannette Winterson, and Italo Calvino. I am interested in examining how and in which ways the print texts, written before digital ubiquity, intersect with the possibilities offered by hypertext.

(top, philosophy, current, past, future, tutoring)

TUTORING

For five semesters (Spring 2005 - Spring 2007), I have tutored at the George Mason University Writing Center at both the Fairfax and Arlington campuses. In Fairfax, almost all tutees are undergraduates, but in Arlington, the tutees are graduate students, which has greatly expanded the range and complexity of issues I have dealt with. Problems of structure more often supersede issues of mechanics, even with ESL students; so many resources exist to deal with the latter that focusing on higher-order concerns is a more valuable use of time. In a typical 45-minute session, I ask to see the assignment, ask the tutee what he or she wants to work on, and have him or her read all or part of the piece out loud. We discuss any patterns of error I have noticed and, if the issues are structural, I help the writer create an after-the-fact outline to engage him or her in the process of revision.

(top, philosophy, current, past, future, tutoring)

[this page updated 5/2/07]

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