I am about to embark on a PhD program in Romance Languages at the University of Oregon. Clearly, this will be an enormous step toward accomplishing my future teaching goals, which is to teach Mexican and Latin American literature at the university level. Though the U of O doctoral program in Romance Languages normally includes teaching there as a Graduate Employee, COVID-19 has caused the school to put a freeze on new hires. Therefore, I can only attend as a student, not as a graduate professor. Nevertheless, the knowledge I will acquire in the realm of literature, plus the credential of PhD itself, will hopefully open opportunities for me in the area in which I most want to teach. This does not mean that, even with a PhD, I will not continue to be interested in teaching basic-level language courses. I find teaching at the beginning levels of language learning very rewarding, and I hope to continue doing so, either after U of O re-opens their graduate employee program, or in other schools in which I might find employment before, during, or after completing the doctoral program.
The primary research I plan to do for my dissertation involves identifying unknown voices in Mexican literature by female or female-identifying writers who have been marginalized due to social or economic circumstances. However, I’m also open to the possibility that, in the future, either during my studies or beyond, other research avenues may begin to interest me as well, and I look forward to working with colleagues to explore those avenues.
In terms of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, I look forward to continuing to examine my own classroom practices, successes and failures, sharing my experience with others and benefiting from their shared experiences. I will benefit from learning about the research findings of others, while also sharing mine, and will benefit from accessing the valuable educational theories and practices of my colleagues.
Whether teaching foreign language acquisition or literature in the future, I plan to stay true to my teaching philosophy which is that successful learning can only happen in a safe and enjoyable atmosphere, in which communicative, kinetic, and tactile methods play a key role, and in which, I, as the teacher, remain alert to the various learning styles of my students and their particular needs. Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion will always be a key component in my classroom.
Artifacts:
This is the course description of a class taught at PSU during the fall of 2020 by Dr. Enrique Cortez. It is a 400/500 level course. It is an example of the subject matter I am interested in teaching in the future at the university level:
Course Description:
Study, analysis, and critique of works in multiple genres on such topics as Transvestism, Feminism, Sickness and Literature, Prose and Poetry of Borges, and Pre-Colombian Literature. Course may be repeated for credit when topics vary.
Example of a position I would be interested in in the future
