Teaching

African American Literature, I have found, encourages students to productively engage issues concerning race, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion, and other socially constructed frameworks of difference, while learning critical thinking skills and honing their ability to write. Given the fragility of the contemporary moment in the United States and the polarity of these subject matters, I have developed an inclusive and collaborative teaching pedagogy, whereby we—as scholars, students, and citizens—can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for diversity of thought and experiences.

I view the classroom as a cooperative, discursive space, where I call upon students to examine not only the texts we read, but how they can use literature to make tangible contributions to society. When teaching African American literature and culture, I take advantage of the diverse sets of intersecting socio-cultural experiences my students bring to the classroom by asking them to consider how their background informs their access to and evaluation of literature. As an instructor, my goals are to teach my students critical thinking skills, literary analysis approaches, and research methodologies, while having them leave my class more aware of who they are and how they can make the world a better place by understanding and respecting others who may have different perspectives. As an instructor, I intentionally design courses with a variety of ways to meet students where they are, while challenging them to think more critically and encourage them to deal with delicate issues of structural difference.