Achievements at Converse

A focus on culture and communication: I have recentered my GEP sequence courses (101/102/201) on culture, with grammar and vocabulary covered within specific contexts. For example, we may start a class with a trip to the Tomatina festival in Spain, or by browsing apartment listings in Montevideo and Montreal. We then learn a past tense to describe the features of our new homes. I also place heavy emphasis on communicative activities, bringing us in line with American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards. People learn language best when they use it, so they should spend the majority of the class talking while I serve in a supportive role to facilitate learning.

 

Variety in upper division courses: Because our department is very top-heavy with required courses for the major/minor, I have introduced a number of specialized upper-division classes across a broad array of topics. These have included: Latin American Theatre, Women on the Edge in Latin American Film, Modernity in 20th century Mexico, and Radio Converse. In the latter, two teams of students created weekly six-minute newscasts covering the Converse and Spartanburg communities. Episodes are archived here: https://profesordoug.podbean.com/

 

Instead of final essays… While maintaining a strong writing proponent throughout the semester, I have also introduced a variety of final projects for students to exercise their creativity. In my theatre and film classes, students wrote/performed a play/short film, and in Latinx Studies, they made art and collages. In Spanish Peninsular Literature, they recorded a six-minute podcast, with submissions ranging from the Moorish invasion to Queen Isabel to the woman who attempted to “restore” that Jesus painting in 2012. In Radio Converse, they did a feature report of three to four minutes, which I then wove together into a 47-minute series finale. While writing is important, it is not the only way to learn a language. I feel that my projects have inspired creativity and a greater depth of cultural knowledge engagement amongst our students.

 

A robust online presence: I have always been a strong advocate of Moodle/Canvas, but the sudden shifts of the pandemic led me to rethink my classes and make some permanent changes. During the initial shutdown in 2020, I spent weeks recording classes and uploading them to YouTube. This included narrating Powerpoints, and, using my tablet as a whiteboard, working through exercises as if we were in class. I later recorded the rest of my Spanish 101/102 and French 101 classes, producing more than 90 videos ranging from 10 to more than 40 minutes in length. While these videos continue to be used by students stuck in quarantine/isolation, they are also greatly appreciated by athletes and others who feel that they need reinforcement of classroom materials. I also recorded 28 videos of “Dr. Doug’s Quick Spanish” in which I briefly explain grammatical topics. Some students have even come to class with screenshots of these videos, so I know they are helping. My YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5y1PRtANCfHh6Oeff7nW6w/playlists

I also maintain our department’s Facebook and Instagram pages, reaching both current and former students.

 

Broad Flexibility & Responsiveness to Students: My variety of upper-division courses attests to my flexibility in teaching. Even if something is not my particular subject area (French 101 and Spanish Peninsular Literature being prime examples), if I feel confident enough to give it a try, I will. This flexibility also extends to what I teach and how I teach it. I adored Mexican Modernity (it is exactly what I study), but students seemed indifferent, so I have not offered it again. If I teach two sections of the same class back-to-back, I will change activities from the first to the second based upon what works. I pride myself on being able to think on the fly and appropriately read the room. I refuse to just “suffer the hour out” because that is what I planned, whether the students like it or not. I like my classes to be zippy and engaged.

 

More mentoring: I love talking to students. I love knowing what’s going on in their lives, what classes they’re going to take next, and what they want to do with their futures. Students trust me. Last week alone, I had two crying in my office (and not because of something I did!). I listened, offered advice, and then connected both with appropriate on-campus resources to pull them through their respective crises. My mentoring has also been evident with our Latinx and LGBTQ student populations given that I am actively involved in both affinity groups. For this service, in 2021 I was awarded Outstanding Advisor by Student Life, and was nominated for Outstanding Faculty Engagement and Involvement.

Sheer numbers: I joke with students that they will come through me, eventually. Because I am so heavily dedicated to General Education Program courses, that is less of a joke than a promise! In the current semester (Spring 2022), I have 83 students across four classes, including a record 23 in my Intro to Latinx Studies. Since 2017, my total number of students has ranged from 105 in the Spring of 2020, to a low of 48 in the fall of 2021, but typically falls in the 70s and 80s.