Twentieth-century author Flannery O'Connor left behind two novels, thirty-two short stories, numerous essays, and one frequently-quoted observation: "I write so that I know what I'm thinking." In a similarly self-reflective spirit, I have come to believe that I teach so that I know what I have learned, and how I have learned it. In my second semester, I migrated to technical writing. My exposure to both disciplines has given me a great appreciation for all phases of the writing process, from the beautiful chaos of creation to the process of imposing order on what you have created: proofreading, header style definition, and everything else that makes a document look as though it had been as easy to write as it is to read. I've heard many students state plainly that they did not know how to write. I believe the first duty of a composition instructor is to prove two things to students: that they do know how to write, and that writing can be a rewarding means of self-expression, as opposed to the exercise in drudgery that students so often think it is. What I have found, in teaching both English and math, is that assignments should not simply be explained and repeated until the students catch on. Rather, the instructor should look for engaging illustrations of the concepts that underlie those assignments, so that they are easier to understand and more enjoyable to complete.

reading, writing, playing online puzzle games, walking/hiking