Teaching Schedule and Philosophy
My approach to teaching is heavily informed by my research on modern rhetorical theories of language as symbolic action—language affecting/affected by the world around the language-user. In all classes I teach students that they are entering an ongoing, agonistic conversation, in which their role as participants in vitally needed civil discourse is to listen closely enough to understand the context and then put in their oar, arguing their own perspectives in an informed, reasonable and contextualized manner. My first book focused on rhetorical theories of dialogue and commonalities as a response to war, and I strive for classrooms where ideas are freely shared and disagreements welcomed in an atmosphere of tolerance, growing commonality of purpose, and even light-heartedness. Likewise, all my classes emphasize strongly the importance of word choice and usage to shape the perspectives of the audience--an approach highly influenced by my second book, on reaching the 21st century audience. My current research uses rhetorical criticism in a cross-cultural analysis of the production of nationalism, and I likewise strive to help my students become engaged and critical participants in the ongoing discourses of their sociopolitical lives, as well as ethical and effective practitioners of rhetorical argumentation and thoughtful, eloquent members of the writing community.