Teaching Philosophy

Kate Kellner
I believe that success looks different for every student. Each student that comes through
my classroom door is starting in a slightly different place than his or her peers. It is with that
knowledge in mind that I set realistic expectations for each student individually, asking them to
continually reflect on their experiences, display a strong sense of engagement with assignments,
and provide thought-provoking contributions to class discussions. Success in my classroom is
defined as perpetual intellectual and interpersonal growth, the cultivation of confidence in their
individual writing identities, and the strengthening of intellectual curiosity. No matter what level
my students are at, I strive to impart upon them that writing is important. I reinforce the
concept that, no matter what area they study, no matter what job they pursue, each and every one
of them will need writing in the future.
Class discussion is a vital part to my classroom experience. I ask students to converse
with me and their peers about their past experiences with writing and how it relates to the lesson
or reading at hand. This conversational atmosphere allows students to build trust with one
another, and with me as well. The trust that is developed between students is vital when it comes
to group activities, such as peer review. Sharing writing is an extremely personal, yet important
part of my class. Many students come with reservations and a lack of confidence in their writing,
which deters them from openly sharing their papers. However, I strive to remind them of the
value of sharing their work with peers, as well as the benefits of receiving constructive criticism
to improve their skills.
Growth and continued practice are essential components in writing. There is no writer
who has ever truly mastered the art of writing. I constantly remind my students that there is
always more to learn, and that they can always grow, which means it is important to come to
class with an open mind. I relay my own experiences, both the trials and triumphs, to help
enforce the idea that there can, and will, always be growth. By opening up about my own
struggles with reading and writing, I believe this allows my students to see me as more of a real
person, and reinforces the concept of continued learning. I prioritize critical thinking skills
because there is always more for students, as well as myself, to learn. It is vital that students are
able to make connections between assignments and real-life situations in which they may need
the same set of skills. For example, the concept of genre is especially critical for promoting
transfer. I discuss with my students the expectations that each of their fields have for their
respective written documents. Students analyze the various concepts of genres, reflecting on the
possible consequences that may stem from not meeting the expectations of these genres.
Similarly, it is difficult to retain a completely new concept, so I do my best to relate each
assignment to a familiar concept from their past schooling, whether it was encountered in my
class or a previous class.
I believe that free writes are an excellent classroom activity to promote critical thinking
skills. By prompting students to recall how past assignments relate to current tasks, as well as
speculate how current tasks may relate to future ones, it promotes active learning and making
connections. Free writes also allow me to check in on students frequently. Free writes are an

open forum for students to express concerns, ask questions, and share ideas of topics and projects
with me. Questions that are asked in these freewrites vary from What difficulties have you had
with using the databases to find sources to incorporate into your paper? to What aspect of
writing has this class not yet covered that you would like to learn about? These freewrites not
only allow me to frequently check-in on my students, they provide them with an additional outlet
to let me know if there is anything more I can do to assist them. I provide feedback on each free
write, answering questions and posing suggestions. Freewrites keep a constant thread of
communication between myself and my students. For students who may lack the initiative to
send e-mails outside of class or students who are afraid to ask their questions in front of their
peers, these freewrites provide them with ample opportunity to raise their questions or concerns.
I believe this once again reinforces the trusting and open atmosphere that is vital to my
classroom.
I strive to assist my students in developing their own unique identity as writers, both in
and out of the classroom. As mentioned previously, I believe that success will look different for
each student, as will their writing identity. This identity is cultivated through critical thinking
exercises, collaboration with peers, probing discussions and readings, and hands-on activities.
The first paper that I prescribe is focused on students coming to terms with their relationship and
identity to writing, analyzing how this was developed. Not only does this provide students with a
foundation on which to build, it provides them with a clear starting point to reflect back on as
they continue throughout the semester. The final project that students complete is a portfolio of
their work, including 5-7 artifacts they have completed in class as well as a reflective essay. This
assignment allows students to discuss their trajectory, identifying failures and triumphs, and
analyzing how they will take the skills they have developed and transfer those skills to other
facets of their academic and professional lives. For my assignments, I establish a clear set of
goals that I want students to achieve, that are not necessarily correlated through grades. Such
goals range from actively participating in reflection throughout all stages of the assignment to
improving upon analytical skills. These goals allow students to see growth in their work and
development in their skills, thus leading to the cultivation of their writing identity, without
feeling penalized by grades. Students will carry this identity with them into their respective
disciplines, and it is important that students leave my classroom knowing that their writing and
individual voice is meaningful and deserves to be heard.
I believe that it is my responsibility as an instructor of writing to instill a sense of
confidence in the students who come to my classroom. I strive to encourage all students to truly
take hold of their writing identity and use the skills that they develop and strengthen in my
classroom in their future. I truly hope that my students leave my classroom with a strong
appreciation for writing as well as ample understanding of the impact that their writing can and
will have in their lives.