My expectations in teaching writing this quarter derive largely from my past experiences in English courses; I hope to take the best aspects of each of my individual English classes and combine these with my personal sense of relaxed, fun, and productive learning. I strongly believe that students who look forward to class, who engage actively with the text, and who have a personal relationship with their instructor are likely to do their work well, and with enthusiasm. As Murray states: “I must allow them space in which to fool around, to have fun, to aim in one direction and hit a target I another. They must learn not to force writing but to let writing build within them so their pens may have the freedom of saying what their brains did not expect them to say” (5). I’m a firm believer in allowing students room to have fun in class, whilst remaining focused on their work. I believe finding a balance between academia and enjoyable learning is key to student participation and interest. Bean writes: “Although we cannot teach reading directly, we can create learning environments that nurture reading growth” (167). I read this statement with great emphasis on the creation of learning environments. I find creating a fun, diverse, and welcoming classroom climate allows students to improve their reading and writing skills in an open and engaging space. Learning can take place in a number of  ways, why not enjoy it as much as possible?