Teaching
Composition, Literature, and Film
Who?
Well, we are talking about me this time around as this is my introduction to a new type of post I plan to regularly feature on the blog. I am a tenured professor at a community college teaching the following classes:
- Introduction to Film Studies
- Introduction to Literature
- English II : Writing about and in the Disciplines
- English I : Composition and Rhetoric
- Fundamentals of Writing : Pre-English I course
Where? and When?
I plan on posting twice a month here on the blog.
What?
The posts will focus on issues in teaching. I am looking at this from a very broad perspective. I may discuss issues regarding instruction, student learning, retention, pedagogy, assessment, student behavior, struggles, etc. Pretty much anything I think of and want to write about is fair game.
How?
My goal is to use this format as often as possible with minimal variation. I could write essay type posts on this subject, but this feels more fun and more doable on a regular basis. Of course, I reserve the right to completely change my mind any time I feel like it.
Why?
I have quite a few reasons for wanting to do this. First, I know a lot of you are also teachers/educators and I hope you chime in to discuss the issues presented, offer advice, and in general be awesome. Second, using the blog as both a place to vent and invent is a goal of mine. Writing posts like this allows me to rage a bit from time to time, but it also forces me to consider an individual problem or issue carefully. Third, why not?
What - can you do?
As a high school English teacher, I love to hear about the post-secondary classroom. I look forward to your posts on teaching. About grading: definitely the most burdensome part of teaching!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing more! I only taught for about a year and a half but it's still a subject I'm interested in. Plus vent and invent...I so get those reasons for writing a post.
ReplyDeleteFun idea! I like the idea of a consistent format -- easier to focus on content when you don't have to think about how you are going to share it.
ReplyDeleteI think teaching would be the worst thing on earth for me to do...I would be awful at it. But I would love to actually BE TAUGHT in these subjects, especially the film one. I really am impressed with you and look forward to hearing about it.
ReplyDeleteCan I ask the most basic obvious stupid question? How do you pick the books that go on your syllabus? And also what does it take for you to change the books you're using semester to semester? Like do you just get bored of the ones you've been using, and change them for that reason?
ReplyDeletePicking books for Intro to Lit is absolutely HORRIBLE. The whole world is open to me as I'm the lead instructor for the class (currently the only one who teaches it), so choosing is painful. I change every year in part because I get bored and in part because I want to do ALL THE BOOKS.
DeleteVERY much looking forward to this. Last year was my 10th in higher ed, and I still need new, fresh ideas, and discussion keeps me fired up.
ReplyDeleteoooooh I look forward to these posts. Great idea!
ReplyDelete