If the Student Became the Teacher by Rebecca

If the Student Became the Teacher by Rebecca - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

I can’t even count on both hands how many times I’ve been asked about my favorite school subject. I have never been asked what subject I would teach. If I were a college professor, I would teach Literature with a focus in European writings. I chose this subject because I find reading to be extremely insightful, underappreciated, and I believe I would make the class enjoyable.

Literature and how someone interprets it gives a small window into the soul of both the author and the reader. It would be really interesting to listen to my students delve deep within themselves and see their points of view and what the writings mean to them. Hermann Hesse, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Ursula K. Le Guin are a few examples of the types of authors my class would focus on.

Another reason I would like to teach Literature is because the reading, understanding what was read, and discussing what was read has become a boring task for students instead of a fascinating learning experience. Reading has become less and less appreciated among my fellow peers and that saddens me. I would love to have a class that brought life back to reading.

Everyone’s least favorite part of English is having to write long and tedious essays. I would try to keep the course captivating by basing it more on discussion and participation than papers. I would still require some writing and if a student preferred to write lengthy essays, instead of constantly converse with the other students, I would allow them to, but I believe more would choose the other path. I would like to see people excited about attending a class that usually isn’t too popular, so I would try to find ways to keep my students interested and stimulated. I believe I would pretty good at it, as well.

If I were a college professor, I would teach Literature with a focus in European writings. I chose this subject because I find reading to be perceptive and not appreciated enough. I also believe I could make the class exciting.