Teaching Philosophy
Crafting Rhetorical Dexterity
My teaching philosophy is based on two main prongs: rhetoric as a material, civic practice and learning as a continual, iterative process. A rhetorical skillset enables deeper analytical work than just spotting a distasteful argument. Rather, studying language in everyday use vis a vis an audience inspires close attention to the underlying logics that motivate and constrain what is said or omitted. My goal for students is that they develop a set of discursive and analytic tools with which they speak eloquently and with conviction about their own ideas and beliefs, fully engaging in the creative, ethical process that is rhetoric.
As a first-generation college student who was most influenced by teachers who directly connected the theoretical and the everyday, I now explicitly model that process in my own teaching. For example, in conversations focused on Kenneth Burke’s abstract concept of “substance,” we turn our attention to the different materials in the classroom and what pressures they can withstand. In considering the brittleness of chalk and the tearing of paper, we can begin to better understand how beliefs that people are substantively different lead to stereotypical or even harmful ends. Rhetoric is the set of stories we tell about one another, and studying these stories enables us to understand the world as it is as well as potential alternative futures.
Joining Conversations on Social Justice
I find that students are often very aware of current sociopolitical exigencies and want to discuss them, but their fear of peers’ disapproval stifles productive conversation. In many ways, being a rhetoric teacher is an advantage here, as I can directly connect our conceptual vocabulary of “ideographs” and “topoi” to these pressing issues. Then class discussion becomes less about students’ individual beliefs coming under attack and more about contextualizing one’s personal thoughts in the broader rhetorical landscape. This is especially important when discussing prominent political figures and controversies who evoke intense feelings, either good or bad.
Part of creating a space where students feel emboldened to work through controversial ideas is connected to my willingness to share my own evolution and receive constructive criticism. I regularly share moments where rhetorical concepts have helped me realize things about my own upbringing and orientation to the world. For example, an experience I had with my sister’s medical care demonstrated the true import of genre uptake, specifically what can happen when uptakes go wrong or are ignored. The doctor’s report that refused uptake of clear physical symptoms revealed to me the importance of attending to the texts we are surrounded by, as they can in many cases literally impact our future health. In making these connections explicit for my students, my aim is not to weld rhetoric to a particular political or ideological view but rather to demonstrate its deep interconnectedness with our most firmly held beliefs and behaviors.
Diversity in the Classroom
I have been fortunate enough to teach a wide and eclectic variety of students. Whether they are a foreign dignitary’s son, president of their sorority, a mom who finally got to enroll in college after her own kids had graduated, a senior who enrolled because it was the last open class, or a Chinese teen who flew to the US 48 hours prior to the first day of the semester, I endeavor to model critical thinking and engagement with rigor and empathy. I am also deeply committed to not just providing access but making my classroom as inclusive as possible.
What does this commitment look like? It looks like including both classical works and pieces by authors with more marginalized identities so that students can recognize the greats and critiques of them. It looks like regularly bringing in external examples from TikTok, Twitter/X, reality tv, etc… not in order to pander but to ground discussions for students who do not have experience reading theory. It looks like allowing laptops in my classroom so as to not marginalize the one or two (or more) students with accommodations for screen reading, even when that means I have to do extra classroom management work. It looks like doing emotional labor, to the extent that I can, when I recognize that no one else is. It looks like following the wins and defeats of student athletes, cheering their wins and VIP awards and sympathizing after a brutal loss. It looks like encouraging students to research topics connected to their home languages and cultures but also backing off if doing so feels too painful in a cultural context of white supremacy. It looks like presenting course materials via oral, printed, and digital formats for multiple modes of learning. It means remembering that I am a human engaging with humans, amid our shared insecurities and challenges and triumphs.
Revision
The longer I write myself, the more important I believe revision is to anyone’s understanding of writing and rhetoric. I build multiple points for revision into all my classes. While I cannot provide editorial-level feedback on every essay, especially in 3-class semesters, I aim to center revision as a writing cornerstone through a range of means. We engage with the usual revision activities, such as multiple drafts, peer review, and individual conferences. I sometimes bring in my own drafts as examples, showing journal review feedback and discussing how I approach incorporating it into my own writing and thinking about a project. I also discuss how I regularly peer review drafts for graduate students or peers via informal mentoring networks, emphasizing the role of feedback and revision as a key part of a writerly life. Additionally, we discuss how to revise based on the demands of a hostile external reviewer while still maintaining one’s own perspective.
Engagement and Exigencies
My students will inevitably meet unsympathetic audiences that will not be swayed no matter how many discursive tools they wield. However, being able to critically weigh audience expectations against personal values is the first step to crafting rhetorical texts with conviction. Overall, my aim is for students to leave my classroom with the tools to act effectively and ethically within the academy and beyond, both as creators and consumers of texts.