Luxx Mishou

 As an interdisciplinary scholar of multimedia texts I believe in the value of studying cultural objects for their ability to articulate experiences to audiences outside of their own demographics. I believe in their value in offering lenses through which to examine cultural fears, expectations, and identities, for the improvement of understanding and social wellbeing.  As an instructor, I recognize it is my responsibility to teach students not just the foundational skills of my primary field of English, but to encourage critical thinking and cultural and social awareness through exposure to, and analysis of, a range of media representing a spectrum of thoughts, ideas, and identities. What we watch, what we read, and what we wear says quite a bit about who we were, who we are, and who we need to be. The study of media makes important social questions accessible to a wide range of multidisciplinary students, giving them the tools and language they need and can then use to improve their individual fields and cultural spaces.

Early in my teaching career I taught courses like that of my own undergraduate experience, designing syllabi that privileged the traditional Euro-centric literary canon and systematic expectations of rhetoric. My early classes focused on poetry and prose, and their cultural history, to encourage a deeper understanding of literary conventions, which would in turn instruct students in successful composition. I approached teaching with a belief that reading is essential to developing strong writing skills, and encouraged students to learn by the examples set by major authors. Though I maintain this belief – that students learn to write well by example – both the content and goals of my courses have evolved to meet the needs of a spectrum of students at a time of increasing social and political awareness. To foster and promote this awareness I strive to teach cultural literacy learned through the reading of poetry, prose, drama, comics, film, and other cultural objects. I want students to think not just about how something has been done, but why it’s done, in such a way, at a particular time. I believe this increases students’ understanding of the development of cultural institutions and values, and to challenge and expand those values as needed.

Practically, I work to adapt class lectures and materials to the specific needs of students. Recognizing the financial burdens placed on students, I opt to teach open-source materials as much as possible, thereby increasing accessibility of class materials. I utilize multimodal lectures to engage both auditory and visual learners, and encourage active discussion over passive listening.  I believe that application of learning is more important than memorization, and so employ technology to offer my students resources for referencing technical information related to coursework. Finally, I review my course materials, assigned texts, and lectures each semester, because I recognize that the world in which I live and teach today is not the same it was when I first started teaching in 2008, and will continue to change into the future.