Teaching Philosophy

By

Heidi Emmerling

I believe that effective teaching demands a high level of knowledge and skills. Therefore, I strive for what Donald Sch`n has termed reflective practice: thoughtfully considering my own experiences in applying knowledge to my practice. When reflecting on my role as an educator, I see myself functioning as a facilitator and authentic role model. I have pursued a dual career as an academic--specifically a composition instructor— and a professional science writer because I consider my teaching of composition and rhetoric inseparable from my professional work. I hope to continue being a healthcare professional who writes as well as training and motivating other writers through real-life resource and example.

I am also reflective about how students learn and believe strongly in the efficacy of cooperative learning activities. Because of this commitment to fostering deep knowledge, I have designed my courses to encourage students to take an active part in their own learning. I consider my classes to be student-centered and most are generally run workshop-style. These workshops include active learning activities (panel discussions, group projects, peer response to writing). My courses are generally evaluated through contract and/or portfolio grading and include a detailed final self-reflective paper on their own writerly experiences.

Besides being reflective, I also emphasize the “doing” or practitioner aspect of my role of reflective practitioner. My combined backgrounds in composition and rhetoric and the health sciences demonstrate my familiarity with discourse and genre in other disciplines, specifically technical, science, medical, and business. Composition and rhetoric scholars are in an ideal position to empower the writing, and therefore the success, of professionals. Educators in professional programs have many opportunities to incorporate writing into their curricula. Further, I believe that composition and rhetoric specialists have an attitude toward learning as composing that can help create more independent and successful professionals. This attitude begins in pre-professional general composition and technical writing courses and continues throughout one’s academic and professional career. Serving as a role model, I often share my strategies for brainstorming topics or editing. I also bring in some of my published work for critique and discussion. Having worked as an editor in a number of publications, I share what many editors look for in query letters and manuscripts. I often encourage students to publish their essays or papers in local (or sometimes national) venues. This encouragement begins with having students present their revised and peer-edited edited best essays in a spiral-bound text at the end of the semester. In my opinion, this type of publication allows for a more authentic presentation of their narratives than strictly instructor-read text.

I see my role as a reflective practitioner as dynamic. Donald Sch`n’s idea of a reflective practitioner has shaped my philosphy of teaching and artifacts of classroom practice. As with any discipline, teaching requires that I continue my own education through workshops, conferences, and through my students and reflective practice.

Research Agenda

I plan on expanding the scope of my project to include the actual processes and acquisition of writing skills of successful professionals, differences in writing between “typical” and “successful” professionals, genre studies in the profession, gender and ethnic rhetorics, the role literature plays in the composing process of professionals, and protection of academic property of technical and professional writers.