My pedagogical methods are based in
social constructionist theory. As a
teacher, I encourage my students to engage with their discourse
communities. Many students arrive in college
unprepared for the work they are expected to perform, and I try to clarify
those expectations by helping them to understand the discourse of the academic
community and to participate within it. I
believe that students learn best when they understand the purpose of their work
and are involved in the active creation of knowledge. In literary studies, this means that I
encourage my students to understand the ways in which a text is a part of its
historical period. Frederick Jameson’s
command to “Always historicize!”[i]
is an excellent reminder that no text was created in a vacuum, and that
teaching students about Great Books as if they were separate from or divorced
from their context is problematic to say the least. The concept of discourse communities is
useful in literary studies in that it helps students to understand the relationships
and conversations that occur between texts.
In composition classrooms, I encourage analytical reading of nonfiction
works. In analyzing and writing about
the texts, my students see that they, too, are a part of the discourse
community. This empowers them and leads
them to be more involved their education and critical thinking.
Most of my teaching experience has
been in composition classrooms. In that
environment, I have found that my students respond well when given a chance to
read difficult texts and use their readings as a basis for their own
writing. I choose readings that
encourage them to participate in political and social dialogues; therefore,
their writing becomes an active engagement with real issues. Through their readings and their writing, I
provide a way for students to analyze their own relationship to these issues,
creating an awareness of their subject position in modern society. Within the classroom, I use collaborative
learning methods so that my students can help themselves and one another. Peer revision and group work create a bond
between my students. Instead of viewing
each other as simply another student, I encourage my students to look at one
another as fellow scholars attempting to write about their world. This atmosphere of collaboration helps to
balance the power structure in my classroom, creating an environment of
assisted learning. I also firmly believe
in conferencing with students outside of class, both in person and through
electronic chats, so that I can provide more individualized attention to each
student.
Finally, I encourage students to
embrace the changing nature of scholarship through digital media. The internet has not only made it possible
for students to chat with me in an informal environment, it has also provided
another forum for them to share their ideas with the world. One way I bring digital media into my
classroom is by assigning my students reading response blogs. This medium allows them to share their ideas
with each other and with the wider world outside the classroom. Rather than seeing their work as simply
classroom assignments, students find themselves actively participating in
scholarly conversations and creating knowledge.
As a social constructionist
educator, I believe that students need to understand the forces that have
shaped their own identities: social, economic, and religious. Understanding these discourses can empower
students and encourage them to succeed as writers and as scholars.
[i]
Jameson, Frederic. The Political
Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act. Ithaca: Cornell UP,
1981. Print. p 1.
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