Writing wrongs: disruptive feminist teaching within the (anxious) ivory tower

ABSTRACT

As a first-year writing instructor, I generally expect a few mainstays: a handful of bored students, recurring absences, and plenty of covert texting. In order to disrupt the usual lackluster engagement associated with required classes, I approach my writing seminar like a theatre class. By incorporating common performance practices such as the warm-up and personal narratives, I have bypassed many teaching landmines my peers encounter. Through simple theatre techniques, the class becomes cohesive, self-regulating, and most importantly, a place where burgeoning scholars can practice radical humanism.

KEYWORDS:

• Writing
• teaching
• feminism
• performance

Notes on contributor

Jayme Kilburn is the Founding Artistic Director of the Strand Theater Company, Baltimore City. She is a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara, New York University, and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Cornell University. Jayme has received three Cornell Knight Institute awards for her first-year writing seminar.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.