Teaching Philosophy
In many ways, the teaching of literature
follows the path of globalization. As the world moves increasingly
towards a global economy, British and American dominance continues both in
literature and influence, but is quickly receding towards a more global model.
From this global framework, we begin to see parallels between the outsourcing
of jobs to
Acknowledging a global worldview creates the necessity to create and maintain a literature classroom that is focused on change, growth, experience, and the living, thriving world. The static literature classroom where literature is viewed as untouchable represents an antiquated model that will marginalize our field into extinction if we do not quickly learn how to adapt. Whereas a professor in the middle of the twentieth century could afford to lean on the vast body of knowledge that they acquired in graduate school, merely adding small bits of knowledge to their repertoire each year, the professor of the twenty-first century needs to consistently seek new knowledge, new techniques, and continuously adapt their classroom to the changing world.
One method of accomplishing this shift towards a living classroom is to transform the traditional banking model of education into a classroom filled with varied experiences; for instance: devising creative workshop activities, many different kinds of writing exercises, out loud readings and performances, and connecting the classroom to the outside world through technology, the media, and other outlets. Flexibility becomes the most important part of the twenty-first century literature classroom. Jane Tompkins writes about the biggest obstacle that we need to overcome in order to energize the classroom: resisting the urges to impress our students or teach for personal aggrandizement. Once we are able to let go of the need to show off our knowledge, we become able to focus on what really matters—the students’ needs. The advice Tompkins offers in an article entitled “Pedagogy of the Distressed” should be given to every first year instructor, that we must: “Trust the students…Talk to the class about the class…Less is more… Offer what you have…Don’t be afraid to try new things…[and most importantly] Let go…” (177). Each piece of her advice moves us closer towards a living, breathing classroom that shows more concern for the students and less for our egos.
A second important element of teaching literature in the twenty-first century is sharing ideas with other disciplines. For instance, I recently had the opportunity to help an art professor design a syllabus and it made me aware of the importance of this type of interaction. Despite our differences in subject matter, gender, location, and many other areas, we focused on an area that we were both interested in—body image/eating disorders in literature. In our efforts to design this syllabus I learned about pedagogical methods that I would not have realized as a literature professor. Most importantly, the way that this professor uses images to enable her students to feel and experience the artwork in a way that both celebrated and displayed the pain inherent in the human body is an idea that will cross into my classrooms. Because of this experience, I am currently investigating collaborating with a music professor in fall.
A third important element of successful teaching in the twenty-first century is creating a classroom that inspires passion and excitement. Some ideas that will inspire a creative and passionate classroom include: improvisation, flexibility, using technology and multi-media, connecting the classroom to the outside world, and taking advantage of the performance elements of the classroom. After all, the way that we act, dress, arrange the classroom, and structure the class all affect the way the students view us, learn, and interact. Regardless of how student-centered a classroom is, there is always a level of performance that can be used to create more excitement. This passion, creative energy, and excitement are elements that often separate the humanities from other disciplines—when is the last time you heard about a science or math professor creating an exciting classroom? This is something that we need to focus on and use to our advantage.
The most important aspect of anything that I teach is relevancy. I believe that people learn more efficiently when they understand the relevancy of what they are learning. Whatever subject I am teaching I look to strive towards connecting the content to their lives, the world, and their future in the job market. In this way, I would connect the British Romantic poets to imperialism, capitalism, physicality, the disappearance of nature, globalism, and other concepts important to the students’ lives. When I teach contemporary women’s writing I would stress ideas such as racism, gender issues, commodification of the body, the impact of the media, globalization, and other relevant areas that would make the subjects more tangible and useful to the learning. In the same way, in composition classes I would focus on encouraging collaboration, critical thinking skills, cooperation, and different techniques that would enable them to find their own most efficient process. That is the most important idea crossing through any course I teach: I hope to enable the students to find their own ways of critical thinking that will help them in their lives, their future jobs, and the global market of the twenty-first century.