Teaching Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching is informed by anti-racist pedagogies to promote linguistic justice. The anti-racist movement acknowledges language’s historical weaponization as a tool of the oppressor against under-served and silenced identities (Ibram X. Kendi). Anti-racist writing pedagogies aim to empower under-served and silenced students by actively resisting institutionalized racism and uplifting non-traditional students through writing and language. As a writing teacher, I guide students as they explore the relationship between language and power. I strive to promote a brave space for learning through a socio-constructivist, dialogical, and decentered classroom. 

I teach my students composition meta-language and rhetorical literacies to help them engage critically with their world. To ensure my teaching applies to my diverse students, I implement a Writing Across Contexts (WAC) curriculum, focusing on writing skills that transfer effectively into my students’ personal and professional discourses. When students complete my course, they are equipped to write across genres, think critically about texts, and engage in discourse communities. My goal is to create sustainable and self-regulating writers. 

To create an anti-racist writing classroom, I follow the best practices in my field and am guided by four specific methods:

• Learning by Challenging Writing Myths: Many nontraditional students enter the classroom with writing misconceptions rooted in language traumas--being told that their writing, speaking, and use of language is ‘bad,’ ‘wrong,’ or just ‘not good enough. My pedagogy reframes writing misconceptions with “writing truths,” students are challenged to consider the racist subjectivities of “good writing” and are encouraged to think about writing in rhetorical contexts (Kuglitsch; Downs & Robertson). 

• Learning through Multimodality: Media is inherently multimodal in our digital age. To ensure transferability and engage nontraditional students’ multimodal literacies, my pedagogy creates abundant spaces for image-based learning, from poster-making activities to visual/auditory essays (Selfe; Jinnifer; Griffin & Minter). My multimodal approach promotes accessibility as lectures and learning materials are housed in Canvas for review at any time. I individualize my feedback by letting students choose their preferred modality, including video, audio, screencasting, and written feedback. 

• Learning by Collaborating: I implement a dialogical and formative feedback approach when guiding student workshops. In my class, I frame our class, including myself, as a community of co-writers. I dismantle my authoritarian power in the classroom by encouraging a co-constructivist classroom environment. My feedback offers suggestions rather than corrections. I promote constructive dialogue by asking questions to guide student exploration. 

• Learning by Expressing: Students thrive as writers when they share their passions. By giving students the space to write about preexisting knowledge and expertise, I strive to validate their wholeness and encourage self-autonomy as writers (Murray). I encourage my students to use writing as a tool for expression and exploration. 

My teaching philosophy reflects a moment within an ever-evolving cycle of praxis (Freire). As I challenge my students to reflect on their knowledge in my classroom, I also reflect on my shortcomings as a teacher and my position within a systematically racism-embedded country. A pedagogical ethic of love requires humility and self-examination to move past educational transaction and toward mutual recognition of student wholeness and personal transformation (Bell Hooks). While I strive to leave a transformative impact on my students, I also prioritize their feedback and experiences when revising my teaching praxis.