Philosophy of Teaching Educator Paulo Freire believed that education should be linked to the process of knowledge-building.  This is the basis of my own teaching philosophy--that knowledge-building cannot occur in a vacuum nor by just a receiver, the student.  For students to internalize informaion, ideas, and philosophies, they must engage with the community--the professor, their peers, and even those outside of the classroom--to show them that there is a world out there for them to interact with, and that writing can be a link to that world.  I believe that supporting active learning is initially the responsibility of the teacher.  Particularly in the writing classroom, active learning is essential if we are to expect our students to produce quality writing. Exactly how writing should be taught at the university level remains debatable.  Aristotle's classical definition of rhetoric as persuasion acts as a cornerstone for virtually all communication and composition thought, but rather than follow this approach, many programs move away from rhetoric and toward modal discourse writing.  Yet I believe Aristotle's definition is an excellent approach for the composition classroom.  Teaching essential skills such as writing an effective essay (stating and supporting a thesis), learning how to read and think critically, mastering mechanics, and developing a habit of revision should be based on the fundamentals of argument and persuasion.  Furthermore, the five canons of invention, arrangement, style, delivery, and memory, which have remained a staple of rhetorical instruction--should be incorporated into the writing and revision process.  Taking a rhetorical approach to writing can also be applied to writing across the curriculum. In my decentered classroom, students colloborate with me and their peers to achieve a higher level of writing and critical thinking.  Establishing an active learning environment immediately shows students what they can accomplish and gives them the confidence to participate--and most importantly--to write.

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