A General Idea of My Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy stems mainly from the Social-Epistemic values outlined by Fulkerson—the idea that truth is relative and contextual, and that readings should be put into the context of society. I believe that knowledge is not a state of achievement, a trophy to be attained and sat upon one’s mantle; it is an evolution that will continue to change the more we interact with texts and other humans, and the more we attempt to join the discussion ourselves through writing. I also highly value reading a text and discussing it within its context, noting how politics, religion, gender, etc. can drastically change its meaning. In addition, I have found that I highly value Expressionism in teaching—the Platonic idea that truth can be learned but not taught, and that truth is acquired mostly through internal investigation. Truth being an internal investigation would mean that it could be relative to each investigator, which ties in with Social-Epistemic values. I think a focus on Expressionism in the classroom encourages the development of ideas before the development of style. While style and rhetoric impact the message of a piece, it is far more important (at the beginning of a student’s career) that we, as teachers, allow for students to tell their own stories and reflect on others’ through assignments like response essays and journaling. What content will be left to hone if ideas are stifled by fear of incorrect style?

Primarily, I have found that I believe in the power of story—awakening students to the realization that story shapes and propels our lives. Many other teaching philosophies that I have read have talked about a focus on connecting to students through something that they already know or value; every human already has an investment in story. I believe in conducting a classroom that emphasizes the power of connecting to other humans through reading, writing, and discussion, which ultimately creates a discourse of community. Learning happens most effectively within a community, because it instills passion for other perspectives of the world in students and awakens their sense of justice for members of humankind. I believe in smaller classrooms and getting to know my students personally. As a teacher, availability and approachability are vital to fostering dialogue in an effort to transcend barriers through narrative.

I also believe that reading and discussion are immediate catalysts for writing. Meaningful discussion with a classroom community fuels research, as it allows students to create a verbal and mental outline for potential writing. As teachers, we can show students that their most valuable asset for writing and developing ideas is their surrounding community (professors, peers, literature, secondary sources from scholars in their field, etc.). In this community, students are provided ample opportunity for feedback and revisions, both in and out of the classroom. Keeping Expressionism in mind, I would like to note that, by implementing regular and consistent writing exercises in class, students learn that through writing comes agency and voice. Creative writing exercises stimulate originality, and writing exercises that dwell on the importance of secondary sources show that through writing, they can insert themselves into the discussion. Specifically for the teaching of rhetoric, I believe in using examples of speech (perhaps guests from the theatre program to act out, say, Shakespearean monologues) to analyze rhetorical skills. To teach effectively, we must bring the subject down to its contextual level. As rhetoric was once intertwined with speech, it only makes sense that, to fully understand rhetoric, one must witness it in its first form.

As much as I am attempting to analyze my own ideas of teaching, I must admit that I think a teaching philosophy is only as good as the teacher. I fully expect to change my philosophies over time, and I acknowledge that even the best teaching philosophy does not guarantee an effective teacher. However, I think that the process of learning to teach any subject effectively is just as complex as the process of learning how to write—we will all use vastly different modes of getting there.