teaching statement
--Hal Hartley, "Theory of Achievement," 1991
What makes composition, in its broadest sense, so difficult? This is a question I consider important regardless of the context in which I teach. By asking it in a thoughtful way, I lead students to consider that composition is a process of discovery. Through grounding pedagogy equally in the critical and the creative, my method of discovery is one of making connections and demonstrating them in language -- composing.
Composition in this sense becomes a guiding pedagogical concept, be it in an academic writing course, a content specific course, a language course, or a course with a studio or lab component. I present composition in terms of visual art, rhetoric, scientific method, literature, film, critical theory, and aesthetics. Amidst all of these areas, I ask "what does it mean to compose?" With this method, I advocate pivotal steps in critical thinking while encouraging students to consider the subject matter and its influencing ideologies from multiple perspectives.
A multi-perspective approach to composition prompts students not to ask what a certain concept or idea is, but rather, what it does. For example, in a writing course on identity and diversity, we first ask, "What does identity do, and how might that manifest in unexpected ways?" Inextricably tied to the course material, this philosophy becomes a conceptual arc for the classes I teach. This involves criticality on my part as we move from one class session to the next; however, I make apparent the position I hold in the classroom and encourage students to critically consider the various roles that we carry out within the academic space.
Early in the course I prompt students to ask why what they are studying matters and how they can make it matter for themselves. This process composes the classroom anew each term. At the mid-term point I ask students to reflect on their work thus far and outline their goals for the rest of the term. Students should understand their goals if they want to progress in the course, and I should understand their goals so I can best help them to progress as well. While I have concrete pillars to ground my position and the course content, I use this exercise as a conceptual check-in so I can make class time most effective.
My role as instructor is qualified as one to beget confusion, too. I aim to incite confusion through presenting a range of material that relates to the course's overall goals in form and content, but that students may not immediately perceive as critical or relevant. Through explanation and questions to prompt careful consideration, I seek to alleviate most of the confusion although some must remain so students have the opportunity to resolve it for themselves.
How might the efficacy of this practice be assessed? As I begin to explain less, students begin to explain more. They improve composition skills by raising questions and making connections more frequently and in more sophisticated ways than before. With this, students not only become better writers, but better readers -- better "sense-makers," to borrow from Hal Hartley. I ultimately find that by employing criticality and creativity in the service of composition, students are effectively prepared to approach a wider variety of material and tasks with a greater sense of awareness and seriousness, both within and without the academic context.
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- DIGITAL PEDAGOGIES PORTFOLIO Amanda Jordan