Category: Kent State

We were talking about professing English in the required Theory seminar of Kent State’s English literature doctoral program.  Until that time, I hadn’t really formulated why I wanted to teach English–at least in a concrete way.  My original vector had to do with the academic rigor of research and sharing ideas with a community of peers.  Over time, my approach to professing English broadened to include the community of students in my charge.  I thought back to my Latin teacher in high school, Magistra Ingrid Metz, and some of my early English professors at Georgia Tech such as Professors Holloway-Attaway, Rebecca Merens, and Lisa Yaszek.  Each of these professors, as well as others, imparted something beyond the subject matter that each individual course was about.  I learned writing and studying skills from Magistra Metz.  Professor Holloway-Attaway helped me improve my writing skills as well as introduced me to a whole world of music that until that time I was oblivious to.  Professor Merens helped me find the right path for me at Georgia Tech as well as listened to me on the morning that I found out my grandmother had died.  Professor Yaszek introduced me to the world of academia, SF authors, and her many friends at ABC Brewery.  I want to do that for upcoming college students.  You might say that my desire to teach is a politically motivated action.  I want to introduce them to new ideas and as yet unseen possibilities.  I want to share with them the things that I think are important and enjoyable in this world.  They may not accept all that I have to offer, but the few things accepted and the students that I connect with, will be the rewards that I’m looking for.  Those are the things that will hopefully lead to a better world and a more fulfilled life for myself and my students.