I approach teaching by first recognizing that the real work of the classroom is learning, and learning is hard work. It is true that the teacher occupies a key position in the classroom, having more experience with the material, but students also bring their own motives, experiences, knowledge, and skills into the classroom that must be incorporated into the course for enhancing the learning of all members of the classroom. As a teacher, my role is to develop and manage the conditions that empower students to take on the challenge of learning, and I do so by focusing on two areas: student ownership and collaborative learning.

The work of teaching begins well before students enter the classroom, and alignment of objectives with learning activities is essential, as suggested by the national organization Quality Matters. Clear, appropriate, and measurable objectives are also important tools for helping students take ownership over their learning. When planning classes, I focus on ensuring alignment between department, course, and activity level objectives. For general education courses, I also consider national guidelines like those in the WPA Outcomes Statement 3.0. During the semester, I use the course objectives as a resource for teaching as well. I regularly build in class time for students to review the objectives and discuss their importance. Taking this time not only clarifies the expectations for students, but it gives students an opportunity to address the relevance of the objectives and situate the work in the context of their own interests and motives. I reinforce this work with the objectives by asking students to evaluate their experiences with the course. In every course I teach, near the middle of each semester, I assign a two-part classroom learning evaluation activity. Students are first tasked with identifying problems or concerns they have with any component of the course, and then they are asked to analyze the strengths and benefits of the course. This mid-semester evaluation is an opportunity my students to reflect on what they are gaining and to take ownership over their learning process.

Aligning the goals of a writing course with the goals, motivations, and interests of students means identifying relevant genres, modes, and technologies, but it also means ensuring students are not only critical consumers, but also capable producers of media. To manage and produce modern media, students need experience transitioning between software packages, managing their files, and using advanced formatting features. As a researcher of digital and multimodal writing, I find that students are often familiar with digital media and platforms that offer highly constrained levels of control. While we should address traditional social media and commercial platforms, writing classrooms are spaces to encourage more critical understanding and sophisticated engagement. I introduce students to a range of digital design tools, both commercial and open-source, to help students see the available options. Having students draft documents or edit images in a variety of programs is one way I help them avoid software dependence. Learning about files and file management is a building block for media production, so, I teach about file types, storage, version control, naming conventions, and organization patterns. I also teach students to use the advanced formatting tools in programs they are already familiar with as well to introduce them to document design, compatibility, and accessibility.  Students need support as they learn about the design of multimedia. Helping students see themselves as designers and makers of media is a core component to my courses so that students can gain control over the media they interact with daily.

Because collaborative learning is at the center of my approach, group and team based activities are common elements of my courses. For example, during an informal visual design assignment, I have students get into pairs to create an original composite image, a culture jam or a meme, in Photoshop. I give students instructions on combining multiple images using layers, making non-destructive edits, and using the type tool. Students work together to plan their designs, develop appropriate assets, and learn the interface. When students work together, it creates opportunities for social learning in which students check their own understanding against the ideas of their peers. When semesters complete this assignment, they often comment on how they learned from each other about how to use the software or about the issue their project addresses. Even as students work on individual projects, I build in process and review activities that create opportunities for students to learn from each other at multiple stages in the process. Additionally, having students share their work often helps students overcome the anxiety of being critiqued, and instead bolsters the notion that effectively designed documents are the product of an iterative process.

Managing a classroom community that collaborates well requires a space where students feel comfortable sharing ideas. Students need to build trust in themselves, each other, and the process. The trust empowers them to openly share drafts, ask questions, and discuss challenging ideas. To help develop an inviting and comfortable classroom environment, I incorporate a variety of routines and short activities. One activity I often use early in the semester is to have students draw portraits of a classmate in one minute and then share it with them. The activity helps students get to know each other, and then it creates a moment to talk about sharing our work with others. Additionally, when each class begins, I invite students to make the first contributions by opening the class up for questions or announcements. I continually remind students that we share the space, and that they have a stake in how time is spent. This approach ensures students feel heard. For example, one student recently said, “Bremen Vance is very helpful and easy to reach.”

My approach to teaching encourages students to take ownership over their learning and communication tools, connect the content to life beyond the classroom, and see every stage of the writing or design process, as embedded in social interactions. By centering student ownership and collaboration in my approach, I position myself alongside my students, sharing my interests, and engaging theirs. We learn about tools and genres that are relevant and meaningful to the student to reinforce the value communication in and beyond the classroom. Every semester, students prove that they value being challenged, and their reactions show that when the right opportunities are available, they take learning seriously.