Philosophy
I have come to understand that language is deeply related to identity, community, and culture, and is therefore a way of making meaning–of seeing and constructing the world. I also see language as bound up with power. This understanding has been shaped by both my studies as well as my experiences as a first-generation Filipina immigrant who speaks English in addition to other languages. When I arrived in the United States at the age of 12, I quickly realized that English is currency–that value is often placed on someone’s command of the English language, and by extension, their way of being.
As such, I’m interested in the ways identity, culture, and power are intertwined with language and how this manifests in how we show up and navigate the world. The following questions animate my work: Whose voice, language, and being matter and why? How can we move toward a more expansive view of language and people?
Pedagogy
I see teaching as sacred, joyful, transformative. I am inspired by bell hooks’ words that “to educate as the practice of freedom is a way of teaching that anyone can learn” and that we need to “teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students […] if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin”(13).
I consciously strive to develop a classroom that is sensitive to the various social identities and material conditions that my students bring with them. I try to extend this awareness throughout, from curriculum design to my everyday classroom practices. For instance, in selecting course materials, whenever possible, I make a conscious decision to include texts that are both representative and relevant to a wide array of students, particularly choosing texts that are often not included in more traditional canons. In my first-year writing courses, my students and I read Sandra Cisneros’s “Only Daughter”, an excerpt from Jay-Z’s Decoded, Malcolm X’s “Learning to Read.” We interact with texts written by students in previous courses as well. In this way, students are able to see themselves in and engage with the texts/inquiries that are meaningful to them. We also examine the implications of the inclusion/exclusion of these stories–what it means for certain epistemologies to be deemed (il)legitimate.
My classes are built around the principle of high expectations paired with high support. I draw on an approach introduced to me by Lyn Westergard and grounded in Aída Walqui’s framework of an “amplified curriculum,” through which students are invited into learning experiences that are both intellectually challenging and deeply nurturing. Drawing also on Tara Yosso’s concept of community cultural wealth, I recognize students’ existing knowledge, linguistic resources, and lived experiences as valuable foundations for learning. I pair these assets with thoughtful, strategic scaffolding that supports students in engaging with complex ideas and completing rigorous academic work. Similarly, Bruce Horner and Min-Zhan Lu’s work on translingualism reminds me to approach linguistic difference as an asset rather than a deficiency. Together, these frameworks help me create classrooms in which rigor does not require assimilation and support does not mean lowering expectations.
My background in the fields of writing center studies, composition, and applied linguistics continues to inform my pedagogy. My time with Carol Peterson Haviland in the writing center has especially influenced my views on writing and writers. For instance, I try to position myself as a reader (rather than a grader) when commenting on student papers. I think about how my students and I can be engaged readers, how we can think like writers, how we can read and write collaboratively, and how we can provide each other the interaction that texts invite. I emphasize the importance of context in writing, communicating, and languaging. Additionally, my studies in genre theory, and especially working with Sunny Hyon, have also helped me see the importance of genre awareness as a transferable skill across multiple contexts.
I try to reflect on my positionality–how I show up in the classroom and how this can shape everyone’s experience. I come back to bell hooks’ reminder that “empowerment cannot happen if we refuse to be vulnerable while encouraging students to take risks,” so I do the same in my teaching: I often share my personal experiences navigating the educational system. I also share my writing life with them—my struggles and all, and sometimes, even write alongside them.
Hopes
I hope students see themselves as having something meaningful to say, write, and share. I hope not just to model but to foster a sense of curiosity–to remember to come back to questions rather than resort to easy answers. I hope to learn from my students as much as they learn from me.
