Experience Summary
As an undergraduate, my focus for studies in English were both Critical Literary Analysis and Creative Writing. Analytical writing was stressed heavily, giving me the ability to interpret a text based on intrinsic value. The creative tract allowed me to experiment with my own abilities while keeping in mind strategies implemented by others I have read and studied.
A requirement for all English majors at the university was to have intermediate skills in a foreign language. I have taken four semesters of Spanish at the college level with additional language labs. Spanish was also my foreign language of choice throughout secondary school and I have had first hand practice from my work in Guatemala.
Teaching Style
The temptation as instructor is to simply restructure the way in which a student learns in order to fit your view, and those I have helped encourage such behavior. Guidance, suggestions, and allusions as to how a student can improve and understand is a better alternative. Simply doing the work for the student has little value in regards to education. A fine balance must be struck between open ended comments of little use and high jacking creativity through re-working large portions of work. My policy is to make the student aware of their shortcomings, explain my reasoning, and use enigmatic reserve in telling them how to correct errors. Unless the mistake is simple, I hold back on literally telling them what to do. .