TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

English Composition has a fascinating and convoluted history. The initial creation of this university-level course stemmed from a need to educate students in the art and act of writing across their college careers. Essentially, the overtly broad goal of English Composition was and is to teach students how to compose different texts in varying genres. This is a difficult task considering that most university students, and their instructors, only have one or two semesters to learn and teach this, and other, multifaceted skill(s). Subsequently, there are also numerous adversities within the field of writing and rhetoric. In fact, Doug Downs and Elizabeth Wardle (2007) argue that: "When we continue to pursue the goal of teaching students "how to write in college" in one or two semesters—despite the fact that our own scholarship extensively class this possibility into question—we silently support the misconceptions that writing is not a real subject, that writing courses do not require expert instructors, and that rhetoric and composition are not genuine research areas or legitimate intellectual pursuits." This argument is based on an adversity that many, if not all, English Composition instructors have encountered and still encounter often. However, despite these obstacles, English Composition instructors have worked, and are working, tirelessly to continue the pursuit of knowledge and education through writing and rhetoric, not only for students, but for fellow academics within varying fields as well.
As an English Composition instructor, my teaching philosophy aims to inform students about the complexities of writing and rhetoric while providing a groundwork for students to write within multiple genres and transfer knowledge from one genre to another while remaining mindful and transparent. As an educator in general, my goal is to spark a deeper understanding and appreciation of writing and rhetoric in students and to allow students the opportunity to understand themselves and the world around them better. I aim to broaden my own understanding of the field of writing studies through collaboration with students. As a result, I focus on the underlying reason why I and others write. The reasons behind why writers write, be it to express themselves, address a gap in existing literature with new knowledge, or to join an existing conversation within varying discourse communities, tends to ignite eagerness and passion in students. This technique also allows students to express themselves through writing and rhetoric as well as analyze and evaluate written texts and existing literature in order to gain a deeper understanding of context.
Consequentially, I have had the honor and privilege of applying my teaching philosophy and collaborating with students in primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. For two years, I was a mentor to students in the Visual Arts and Media Industries course at Full Sail University. As a mentor, I supervised group projects focused on the entertainment industry. Students were compelled to create and establish companies centering on either film, television, graphic novels, video games, or marketing. Within their companies, students conducted industry-related research, compiled presentations on the production processes, and pitched project concepts to potential investors. I guided students on the various components of their research projects and aided in concept creation. I also composed a study guide to lead students through the research process, to compile their presentations, and to prepare them to pitch their projects to potential investors.
I was also a middle and high school teacher at the Above Average Home-Schooling Institution in Johannesburg, South Africa. During that time, I taught English and Afrikaans to students with learning disabilities. Additionally, I was a teaching associate for the English Department and Journalism Department at the University of Johannesburg during my undergraduate career in South Africa. I taught students in Broadcast and New Media Journalism as well as in English Composition. In the Journalism classroom, I focused on enhancing the students' learning experience by leading open discussions about current events and by incorporating real-world journalistic experiences with academic content. In the English classroom, I aided in refining students' writing skills by focusing on research and how to integrate research findings with specific essay topics, such as xenophobia, HIV/AIDS, and poverty in Africa, in analytic essay form.  
I am very excited to keep honing my teaching skills as an English Composition instructor and to bring a unique South African flare to the classroom.