Teaching Portfolio

Student Evaluations

My Reaction

My apparent knowledge about organization of the material seems unquestionable. Even students who had other criticisms about my teaching or me personally acknowledged my grasp of the subject and critical positions about the material. My enthusiasm for literature is also communicated by my style and approach to it in the classroom. Students remarked on my presentation, suggesting that it made the (sometimes difficult) works more approachable and enjoyable. It makes me happy when I inspire students to continue with their pursuit of literature and the arts. Some students have even come to talk to me about their future studies at the university; they wanted my advice about their futures. This kind of trust and respect from a student makes teaching all worthwhile. Yet, sometimes my approach might be interpreted as sarcastic and irreverent; the same irony and humor that many students enjoy strikes others as out-of-place in a classroom environment. Many suggest that irony has not place in the classroom; I agree, but only if it alienates. I must hone my use of irony if it is to remain an aspect of my teaching.

The perception that I am occasionally perceived as condescending, impatient, and rude is a difficult one for me to read. I try to be confident, but not cocky or supercilious. I have begun asking students to address me as “Jerry,” if they feel comfortable with it. A slightly less-formal presence in the classroom has, I believed, helped in their perceptions of me already.

I know that questioning deeply-held beliefs often makes students erect barriers of resistance, but I refuse to allow complacency to reign. Rather than skirt around the issues that humanity is most concerned with, my class reads the literature that directly addresses racism, sexism, technology, abortion, imperialism, religion, and other concerns that currently face our society and the world. Addressing these issues critically is integral if students are to develop the necessary skills to live as compassionate, productive people in our world. These issues must be addressed in the classroom, even if they initially upset some students.

Some of the comments that appear at first glance to supply negative opinions, might actually be positive. The observation about too much work, or that my expectations are too high seem to reflect a disappointment in expectations about the amount of effort that a class would take than my actual approach to the class. Part of my job as a teacher, as I interpret it, is to question expectations and general attitudes in order to allow the development of a more critical approach; if expectations are always met, little room for growth will be advanced. One student remarked that I often did not supply answers to direct questions; here, too, I see a potential for the growth of a critical attitude toward problems and the discovery that many questions do not have unequivocal and easy answers. Yet, I also must remember my audience: some students require specific, unequivocal answers to important questions.