I think oftentimes in writing classes, we’re very much concerned with responses to articles, books, and research without an emphasis on being a productive and empathetic citizen. That might sound a little broad, but one thing that I’ve learned how to navigate in my undergrad classes are social injustices that are woven through history and into modern day society. In my English 101 class, there are times when I desperately want to launch into a speech/ presentation about the diverse perspectives from various groups of people. For me personally, I learned from courses that helped me recognize and sympathize with social struggles that I was oblivious to in the past. For example, in my Queer Literature course, I waltzed in (as a queer individual myself), confident in my understanding of LGBT struggles. However, as the quarter progressed, I realized I had little to no knowledge about queer theory, and I was able to learn from the extremely diverse classroom environment. In my freshmen course, that same level of diversity doesn’t exist.

Freshmen coming directly out of college can (at least in my eyes), can be callous in their language in and out of the classroom. I think it would be extremely beneficial to have them dip their toes into articles or excerpts from books that discuss racism, classism, homophobia, and sexism in order to focus their attention to issues outside of the classroom.

As an instructor this institution, I feel like I have an obligation to introduce my students to diverse ideologies and perspectives. Focusing solely on projects and research methods may provide them with a grounding for other research-based classes, but, may not assist in understanding where other students inside the classroom, and citizens outside of the university stand in relation to them.