Teaching Portfolio

Before I came to NC State in 2008, I taught public speaking and first-year composition courses at Iowa State. That university was in a radically different climate, both meteorologically and academically. Coming to Raleigh took some serious adjustment as I went from the cold and an argument-based curriculum to a never-snowing, writing across the curriculum (WAC) approach. Both take a lot of getting used to, but I was most worried about getting a colder response from my students; I had no experience with WAC--no selected readings, no assignment prompts, no sense of orientation--so I was understandably unsure of how the semester would turn out.

I quickly learned that my uncertainty was tied most clearly to a lack of lessons, activities, and assignments; in short, I had no materials and little sense of semester logistics. After my first two sections picked up their natural pace, I caught myself scrambling to pull together ad hoc readings to support my major projects while at the same time enjoying highly engaging and productive class time. I found my students to be interesting and I found a way to get my students interested in the materials (except for the Natural Sciences unit--honestly, I've never seen such disinterest in my teaching career!). I'd characterize the first six weeks of the first semester here like a theater production: while chaos reigns backstage and assistants scatter to find the right prop for the right scene, the audience remains unaware, seeing only what appears to be a highly orchestrated and seamless production.

I've wrestled with this backstage/frontstage teaching dichotomy before. My first semester may have marked my first time with a WAC approach, but it was by no means my first or only rodeo with the unknown; I've taught five different classes in seven semesters. By now, I'm quite familiar with the unfamiliar, and I think this experience has served me well during my adjustment. By remaining flexible, adaptive, and responsive to the individual needs of my students, I discovered what aspects of my existing teaching philosophy could transcend classes, curricula, and colleges.

Assembling this teaching portfolio offers me the chance to reflect on the effectiveness of my adaptions--to check the rain gauge of my teaching, as it were--as I find myself amidst transition from one department, one university, and one state to the next. It also "freezes" my teaching methods for future reflection, showing a snapshot to look back upon for even further reflection.

In the present, though, I invite you to explore my portfolio, read my reflections, and begin to get a sense of what I teach and how I teach it. Use the links to the right to explore various aspects of my pedagogy, including teaching experience, professional reflections, and teaching deliverables.