Composition is not only putting words to thoughts, but forming those thoughts to begin with. A large part of teaching composition, therefore, should be encouraging students to develop analytical and critical thinking skills. Assessing sources, testing arguments, and entertaining counterarguments are all necessary to form strong positions and to understand flaws in logic. I challenge students in my classes on their positions because I believe that learning how to think critically is far more important than learning what to think at any given moment.
Academic English isn't anyone's first language. Preparing students for college and professional writing means helping them to understand the differences in convention between the English they already speak and the English they are expected to write. Students have natural inclinations toward different skillsets in writing; I encourage students to develop what they are already comfortable with but also take risks in rhetoric.
I focus on transferable skills in the English Composition classroom. While I spend time on "traditional" English forms such as narrative and argumentative essay, I emphasize the elements of writing that will continue to benefit them across forms. Writing is ultimately communication; a focus on audience and purpose for every assignment helps students to understand the choices they make when writing. Students are encouraged to consider genre and the appropriateness of various genres to various purposes and audiences. Experimentation with different genres and forms helps to attune students to differences and hone the ability to discern key elements of form and imitate these elements.
Writing is a process. Students often enter the college English classroom thinking of writing as a product (words on a page that are turned in to be assessed and assigned a grade). I encourage them to examine the process of writing, acknowledging that there are differences in their ideal process and others' preferences. I emphasize that students should consider multiple processes when writing: cognitive (planning, analyzing information, and potentially researching), production (formal planning and drafting) and revision (reviewing, self-assessing, and honing their work).
Teaching Philosophy
Composition
I believe that teaching English Composition is a responsibility and a privilege, as it is preparing students for their academic and professional careers.