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Photo by Alfons Morales

Teaching Statement

My teaching interests lie in facilitating English composition, creative writing, and literature courses for both undergraduate and graduate students. I approach teaching as an opportunity to create a safe and interactive space for my students—a classroom environment that is student-oriented and fosters critical thinking, application of writing strategies, and a deeper understanding of literary and historical contexts. Teaching, for me, is more than imparting knowledge; it is an act of service and a performance of inspiring change, as a stated by William Arthur Ward: “Learning is more than absorbing facts; it is acquiring understanding.”

Over the course of my studies in Creative Writing, I have come to realize the significant role that language and storytelling play in shaping culture and society. I believe that both English composition and creative writing extend students’ perspectives beyond the limitations of their own experiences and serve as tools for communication, problem-solving, and world-building. To facilitate this learning process, I use a range of tools and approaches tailored to in-person and online teaching. For example, in English composition courses, I encourage students to analyze and apply rhetorical strategies in their writing, while in creative writing, I foster creativity and narrative development through structured workshops and discussions.

In both in-person and online classes, I integrate collaborative activities that encourage peer learning and critical engagement. For example, in English composition, I use exercises where students analyze examples of argumentative essays and collaboratively create outlines for their own essays. In creative writing, I facilitate workshops where students critique each other’s drafts using guided frameworks, such as “Describe, Evaluate, and Suggest.” To ensure accessibility and engagement, I offer diverse reading materials in various formats and include multimedia resources, such as videos and podcasts, to accommodate different learning preferences.

I emphasize the application of theory through experiential learning. In English composition courses, I task students with analyzing real-world examples of rhetoric, such as advertisements or speeches, and applying these insights to their own persuasive writing. Similarly, in creative writing, I encourage students to engage with their surroundings to inspire their storytelling. For instance, I have students record ambient sounds from their environment to explore the sensory elements of poetry. These exercises, which have received positive feedback, allow students to connect abstract concepts to their lived experiences.

My approach to teaching is supported by student feedback that highlights the value of this interactive and participatory structure. In their evaluations, students have noted: “I really have enjoyed this class. She allows us to have a creative writing space and gives us progressive feedback.” Another comment mentioned, “Her feedback and guidance was always incredibly helpful and relevant. The class seemed to be structured more like a master’s level course with entirely student-driven discussions rather than lectures from our instructor.” This feedback reaffirms my commitment to fostering a classroom environment that encourages active learning, diversity of thought, and experimentation, whether in-person or virtual.

Courses Taught

ENGL 1301: Essentials to College Rhetoric

  • Fall 2021, 3 credits

  • Fall 2022, 3 credits

    This course is designed to ground first-year students in the reading, writing, and rhetorical demands, and practices necessary for engaging in civic discourse and for success in college and beyond. This class teaches students to be both critical readers of complex texts and critical writers and creators of effective texts. This course assumes that the key to critical reading and effective writing is rhetorical knowledge. Rhetoric is foundational for this course because it helps you to understand how other people’s texts work and have effects on audiences and helps you to compose effective and purposeful texts yourself. Rhetorical knowledge prepares you to participate in and respond to a variety of writing situations, whether it be in public arenas, professional settings, personal situations, or future college courses. This course teaches you how to identify other writers’ choices and how to make your own choices across a variety of writing situations.

ENGL 1302: Advanced College Rhetoric

  • Spring 2022, 3 credits

  • Summer 2022, 3 credits

  • Spring 2023, 3 credits

    This course is designed to ground first-year students in the reading, writing, and rhetorical demands and practices necessary for engaging in civic discourse and for success in college and beyond. This class builds on the work of English 1301 to teach students to be both critical readers of complex texts and critical writers of effective texts. English 1302 focuses particularly on inquiry, conducting research, evaluating sources, incorporating source material in your own writing, mapping out a conversation around an issue, and entering that conversation through your own writing. This course assumes that the key to researching, evaluating sources, and responding to writing contexts is rhetorical knowledge. Rhetoric is foundational for this course because it helps you to understand how other people’s texts work and helps you compose effective and purposeful texts yourself in a variety of genres, media, and forms.

ENGL 2351: Introduction to Creative Writing

  • Summer 2023, 3 credits

  • Fall 2023, 3 credits

    This course is centered around understanding the fundamentals and basic elements, as well as the reading and writing of fiction and poetry. Reading is an essential aspect of becoming a better writer. To facilitate this, we will not only be writing and revising our own creative work throughout the semester, but you will also be expected to read the required materials closely (assessed through class discussion and participation and reading responses), provide constructive, careful, and useful feedback on your classmates’ creative writings through workshops and verbal/written comments. Additionally, a complete and comprehensive final portfolio will be constructed to be turned in at the end of the semester. Our primary goals in the course are to hone our craft, experiment with new styles of writing, and create a supportive, collaborative writing community.

ENGL 3351: Creative Writing: Fiction (Synchronous & Asynchronous)

  • Spring 2024, 3 credits

  • Summer 2024, 3 credits

    This is a creative writing course designed to foster a generative environment where students of all majors feel comfortable expressing their stories in a variety of forms. We will specificallystudyshort stories and flash,thoughmanyoftheskillswestudywillhelp inall creative endeavors. By study, I mean discussions on craft, critical engagements with a variety of contemporary readings, and extensive writing activities. We will spend the bulk of our time reading the work of our peers, providing feedback where we can, and learning about our own voices in the process. This class will be focused on what some call “literary” writing, though we will challenge that troublesome term and many others throughout the semester.

ENGL 2307: Introduction to Fiction: Research in Historical Fiction (Asynchronous)

  • Fall 2024, 3 credits

    This section of 2307 will introduce students to fiction’s generic conventions, and to strategies for critical interpretation, by exploring historical fiction. It explores the intersection of history and fiction through the lens of historical novels. We will examine how authors incorporate factual research into their storytelling to create compelling and authentic narratives. Our study will focus on several significant texts, including Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and Weep Not Child by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o. Additionally, we will engage with a textbook on the craft of writing historical fiction, providing students with both theoretical and practical insights into the genre. We will note how and why the writers have chosen fiction rather than nonfiction, and what the ethics of recreating an era and its people include. Students will leave the course with an understanding of fiction’s key characteristics (including, for instance, plot, narrative voice, setting, and dialogue) and will develop this understanding through extensive critical writing.