Teaching

Teaching Philosophy 

I approach teaching and learning as a collaborative, interactive process. I believe that we create meaning through our interactions and shared experiences, and through our personal and collective reflections on these interactions.

A challenge—and a blessing—for teachers is that no two students are the same; they have different needs, different resources, different goals, and different motivations. I believe that one key aspect of our role as teachers is to encourage students to embrace their unique “learning toolbox,” to exploit their unique perspectives and strengths, and to engage with others as collaborative learners.

As a teacher of composition and academic writing, my goal has always been to encourage students to develop their own voice, but also to recognize writing as a process, and academic writing as a genre, with its own conventions, styles, and expectations. I have observed that far too many students see writing as separate from learning. My approach is to have students read actively, so that the writing process happens in parallel, and guides the reading. This writing practice is interactive, iterative, and generative; students work independently, with peers, and with me, exchanging feedback and revising throughout the process.

In my Professional Writing courses, collaborative learning not only supports students academically, it mimics the reality of the modern workplace. Students in my courses work in teams, and take on the responsibility of managing their group progress. I also teach in the Master Teacher Program with the Université de Sherbrooke, and to develop and evaluate the program curriculum. My work the Université de Sherbrooke influences my teaching and mentorship at Concordia, and encourages me to be a reflective practitioner. I have been teaching for over twenty years, but continue to learn and grow as an educator.

I’m challenging myself now to explore experiential learning in the Humanities classroom and its relationship with authentic assessment. I’m also experimenting with generative AI; I’m looking for ways to have students learn ethical and effective use of AI without relying on it as a shortcut that bypasses learning.

Teaching Experience

Concordia University, Montreal, 2019-present

  • Composition
    • Fundamentals of Written English II
    • English Composition I
    • English Composition II
  • Professional Writing
    • Audience & Purpose in Professional Writing
    • Editing II: Style & Structure
    • Writing for Business
    • Studies in Rhetoric
    • Technical Writing

Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, 2018-present

  • Master Teacher Program, Faculty of Education
    • Assessment for Online Learning
    • Constructing Knowledge in Your Discipline
    • Constructing Knowledge Across Disciplines
    • Reading and Thinking in Your Discipline

McGill University, Montreal, 2016-2019

Vanier College, Saint Laurent, 2005-2022

  • Teacher, Liberal Arts and English
    • Introduction to College English (603-101-MB)
    • Formula Fiction (Literary Genres) (603-102-MQ)
    • Alternative Traditions (Literary Themes for Liberal Arts) (603-103-MQ)
    • Montreal Writers (Literary Themes) (603-103-MQ)
    • Whose History? (English for Social Science) (603-HSE-MQ)

Cégep à Distance (Cégep de Rosemont) 2010-11

  • Content Expert, Literary Genres distance learning course