|
Ann Landers said, "It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successfull human beings." My philosophy of education is very similar. My objective is and has always been to teach my students content material as they can apply it to everyday life. I have always believed that information in and of its own is useless unless one learns how and when to use the information in order to live successful lives.
Composition classes focus on grammar, writing styles, and research. All of these skills are crucial, yet how much will be remembered if the material is not applied to a student's daily schedule? So, I introduce anecdotes they can relate to; for example, one writing style is definition. My lecture deliniates the structure of the definition paper, yet each term I write on the board causes discussion. My favorite term to explore with my students is the term, Love. We discuss the dictionary defintion, their own definition, historical definition, examples, and negation. Then, I show videos of real life examples of what love is and what love is not.
I have taught ENC 1102 as an Elements of Argument course. This course encourages dramatic discourse regarding current issues within the United States and around the world. Students are motivated to research topics they know little about and then report on their findings. Most work is group work, so they have a working sense of team effort.
American Literature often relies on classical text; however, every theme is brought to the twenty-first century; for example, Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" portrays a woman who is controlled by her spouse. While this was the norm in the nineteenth century, it is not and should not be the norm today. Many discussions ensue! Langston Hughes, "A Dream Deferred" discusses the frustration felt by man/woman when a dream is made impossible to come true. This theme incorporates many themes occuring today.
Teaching should not be one individual dictating data while students write. Teaching is a communal effort. It is information shared and applied. Teaching and learning occur when information is gained, applied, and then shared to promote a positive chan.