Adjunct English Instructor
Ybor Campus
“Every interaction whether it’s talking, reading, or listening develops a writer.”
Capital Course:
I enjoy teaching ENC 1101. Students often enter ENC 1101 terrified; however, once they realize that the course is only a small step in their journey as a writer, they begin to explore and discover themselves as writers.
Ideal Ideology:
Learning is not necessarily about wrong or right; it is about the process and the experiences. Students must be engaged in learning, and to do that, they must realize that every aspect of a course is an opportunity to learn. Their interaction between peers, instructor, text books, and their own work are all part of their learning experiences. I strive to create a course that provides opportunities for this interaction to occur.
Teachable Moment:
Discussions are vital to student exploration in the classroom. One particular discussion focused on a short reading assignment. I presented the class with several questions to answer. As we began to review the questions, students discovered their answers varied. One student asked who was right. Instead of answering, I asked students to provide more thorough explanations to their answers. Through this experience, students were provided with different perspectives on the same topic. At the conclusion, the student who asked the question realized that there was no right answer since the meaning relied on the audience. The student told me that he never approached reading or writing in terms of the audience. He laughed and stated it changed his entire approach to writing.
Student Success:
The instructional strategy I implement in the classroom is learning groups. This technique has been very successful for students to interact with each other during peer review workshops, where students share their work. In addition, learning groups have also provided better understanding of reading assignments. Students ask each other questions and receive different points of view.
Techno Tool:
I use the discussion forums in Blackboard. This tool has increased the interaction among students. They discuss course related topics, and again, their interaction only reinforces what is discussed in class.
Optimized Advice:
New adjunct faculty members must learn about the resources available. The resources will only enhance the faculty’s experience in the classroom thereby enhancing the students’ experience as well.
