Thank you, Jim, for a wonderful semester in ENG 609! I’m delighted to have landed here in WRD. My portfolio reflects the key work I did in the course this semester, which all connects to my philosophy of teaching writing. I aspire to be an instructor that emphasizes opportunities for agency, creativity, empowerment, and individuality in my classroom. I want students to feel a personal investment in the learning we do together, and I seek to understand how their past and present experiences shape their understanding of writing. Relatedly, my portfolio and work this semester reflect my desire to understand how my work as a creative writer might intersect with my work as an instructor of composition. I spent my childhood and adolescence in a community physically and psychologically distant from the literary arts, so I think of good writing instruction (creative and otherwise) in terms of opportunity, practicality, and access. I believe anyone can be made better by a writing class, regardless of their goals, and my portfolio reflects my ambition for rigorous, expansive learning environments that encourage—not intimidate—even as they expect students to stretch and grow. These are ideals that I hope to refine over many semesters. In some areas, like my philosophy of grading writing, I am still making sense of how my individual reckonings might translate into direct plans of action in the classroom, especially because so much is contingent on the course(s) we are teaching. I look forward to continued teaching experiences so I can try new assignments and strategies.
I am not yet sure where teaching will take me from here, unfortunately. I’m drawn to the creativity and intellectual challenge inherent to the profession—the trial and error, the experimentation, the dynamic nature of learning in general. I could never grow bored of this. However, the market is rough and sparse with no signs of improvement, so I suppose I am a bit sad that I enjoy teaching college students and that the work feels like a natural fit for my inclinations. For now, I am applying to doctoral programs for fall ’22.
