Within my classroom, I place value upon passion. Sometimes, it is difficult for students to find excitement in the curriculum or subject matter, and I believe it is the responsibility of the instructor to find the ways in which they can bring forth students’ excitement and passions in relation to the classroom. This is sometimes difficult, and in past teaching classes or seminars I have been told that it is the duty of the instructor to teach first, and that if students don’t enjoy the class, that’s the students’ problem. In some respect this is true, I do think that some students simply refuse to enjoy what they are learning, but I think that encouraging these students to find passion within the subject is part of what it is to “teach.” I feel that English 101 promotes passionate learning, and has cultivated an approach to entering the academic world that is rooted firmly within personal experience and personal passion.

I also place a great deal of emphasis upon discourse and an exchange of ideas within my classroom space. In a society where it is often difficult to express one’s opinion or engage in thoughtful and respectful dialogue, I believe the classroom is an imperative safe space to help students formulate personal ideology and to engage with other diverse thoughts. Learning how to think independently and successfully discuss differing opinions is a key element to growth and success as an academic and a person, and it is my goal to ensure my classroom space is always thoughtful, safe, and open to the respectful exchange of ideas.

As an instructor, I also really value the development of community and academic relationships between my students. I have always enjoyed my classes that allowed me to come to know my classmates, understand them as scholars, and rely on them for feedback and support through the academic process. To help this along, I really focus on making sure that students know one another’s names, that they participate in group work, that they make the effort to get to know one another as fellow students. I believe this helps students feel safe in the classroom setting, and also helps them as they learn—students come to recognize where their classmates struggle or succeed, and can provide constructive reinforcement in a way that an instructor cannot. This has been a little more difficult within the setting of English 101, these students have resisted working outside of the people they have gotten to know really well and aren’t thrilled when I give them group work, but slowly they are coming to realize how important it is to value and be valued by their peers.