Header image: Students from TWU look through a box from the Claire Owens Myers collection in Texas Woman University's Blagg Huey special collections.
Teaching
I have taught in both American and British university settings for the last ten years. My repertoire includes teaching first-year composition and rhetoric (a required first-year course at many American universities), early and modern British literature, world mythology, and twentieth- and twenty-first century American women's writing.
Teaching Experience
British Literature 1760 to Present. Texas Woman’s University. Spring 2018.
This course provides an overview of significant works of British literature from the Romantic period up to the present day. The course situates these highlighted texts in their historical and cultural contexts as well as identifies and observes themes and motifs important to British literature as they develop over time. Prerequisites: Six hours of English. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes close readings, literary criticism reviews, and exams for each unit and weekly journals.
Literature by Women. Texas Woman’s University. Fall 2017.
This upper-level course provides an advanced examination of literature by women by situating four novels in their historical and cultural contexts. In this course, students engage in literary criticism of these texts and are introduced to literary theory. The authors studied in this course are: Edith Wharton, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Jhumpa Lahiri. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes literary criticism reviews, a literary theory presentation, a research paper that included an annotated bibliography and literature review, and a project involving the papers of Claire Myers Owens, an author whose archives are in the Texas Woman’s University special collections.
Introduction to Literature by Women (Honors). Texas Woman’s University. Fall 2016, Fall 2018.
This honors-level course introduces students to different genres of writing and some of the women who wrote in those genres. The writing assignments encourage students to both write in and about the genres studied in the course. Some of the authors studied in this course are: Octavia E. Butler, Rachel Carson, Edwidge Dandicat, Laurie Ann Guerrero, Jhumpa Lahiri, Naomi Shihab Nye, Leslie Marmon Silko, and others. This is a hybrid course that meets once a week and includes an online component. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes four writing assignments, weekly quizzes, and online discussion and journal discussions.
British Literature to 1760. Texas Woman’s University. Spring 2016.
This course provides an overview of significant works of British literature from the Anglo-Saxon period up to 1760. The course situates these highlighted texts in their historical and cultural contexts as well as identifies and observes themes and motifs important to British literature as they develop over time. Prerequisites: Six hours of English. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes three essays, critical review papers, and two exams.
World Myth. Texas Woman’s University. Spring 2016.
This course examines a variety of world myths as literary text and investigates the ways myth shapes, creates, and perpetuates culture. This course is taught entirely online: involvement includes weekly journal entries and replies to discussion posts. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes six essays, weekly quizzes, and three exams.
Advanced Grammar and Composition. Texas Woman's University. Fall 2015.
This course concentrates on the basic terminology and procedures of English grammar, rhetoric, and composition, with intensive practice. Prerequisites: Six hours of English. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes four essays, in-class assignments, homework, and a final portfolio.
Composition I. Texas Woman’s University. Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015.
Theory and practice of written and oral exposition and research in traditional and electronic environments; rhetorical principles and organization in practice. Class size approx. 20 students. Three lecture hours a week. Instructor of record: assessment includes three major essays, in-class assignments, and homework.
Composition II. Texas Woman's University. Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2017.
Theory and practice of critical exposition and rhetorical analysis in traditional and electronic environments; composing persuasive and investigative texts based on research. Class size approx. 20 students. Three lecture hours a week. Instructor of record: assessment includes three major essays, in-class assignments, and homework.
College Writing I. University of North Texas. Fall 2015.
College Writing I introduces students to rhetorical strategies as a language for developing new insights about the historical, material, and theoretical processes of writing. Class size approx. 25 students. Three lecture hours a week. Instructor of record: assessment includes four essays, in-class assignments, homework, and a final portfolio.
SAT Verbal Lessons. Karen Dillard’s College Prep. Oct. 2014-Oct 2018.
Instructor for the verbal and essay sections of the SAT at a center dedicated to preparing high school students for the standardized tests required to attend U.S. universities and colleges. Class sizes ranged from 5-12 students and larger for workshops. 7 verbal lessons in each 14-lesson course. Two-hour lessons with one-hour weekly workshops.
Medieval and Renaissance Texts. University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK. Oct-Nov 2010
Taught the medieval half of the sophomore-level course on medieval and early modern literature, including The Dream of the Rood and Chaucer’s The Miller’s and The Franklin’s Tales. Weekly tutorials of 6-8 students and assessment.
This course provides an overview of significant works of British literature from the Romantic period up to the present day. The course situates these highlighted texts in their historical and cultural contexts as well as identifies and observes themes and motifs important to British literature as they develop over time. Prerequisites: Six hours of English. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes close readings, literary criticism reviews, and exams for each unit and weekly journals.
Literature by Women. Texas Woman’s University. Fall 2017.
This upper-level course provides an advanced examination of literature by women by situating four novels in their historical and cultural contexts. In this course, students engage in literary criticism of these texts and are introduced to literary theory. The authors studied in this course are: Edith Wharton, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Jhumpa Lahiri. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes literary criticism reviews, a literary theory presentation, a research paper that included an annotated bibliography and literature review, and a project involving the papers of Claire Myers Owens, an author whose archives are in the Texas Woman’s University special collections.
Introduction to Literature by Women (Honors). Texas Woman’s University. Fall 2016, Fall 2018.
This honors-level course introduces students to different genres of writing and some of the women who wrote in those genres. The writing assignments encourage students to both write in and about the genres studied in the course. Some of the authors studied in this course are: Octavia E. Butler, Rachel Carson, Edwidge Dandicat, Laurie Ann Guerrero, Jhumpa Lahiri, Naomi Shihab Nye, Leslie Marmon Silko, and others. This is a hybrid course that meets once a week and includes an online component. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes four writing assignments, weekly quizzes, and online discussion and journal discussions.
British Literature to 1760. Texas Woman’s University. Spring 2016.
This course provides an overview of significant works of British literature from the Anglo-Saxon period up to 1760. The course situates these highlighted texts in their historical and cultural contexts as well as identifies and observes themes and motifs important to British literature as they develop over time. Prerequisites: Six hours of English. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes three essays, critical review papers, and two exams.
World Myth. Texas Woman’s University. Spring 2016.
This course examines a variety of world myths as literary text and investigates the ways myth shapes, creates, and perpetuates culture. This course is taught entirely online: involvement includes weekly journal entries and replies to discussion posts. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes six essays, weekly quizzes, and three exams.
Advanced Grammar and Composition. Texas Woman's University. Fall 2015.
This course concentrates on the basic terminology and procedures of English grammar, rhetoric, and composition, with intensive practice. Prerequisites: Six hours of English. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Instructor of record: assessment includes four essays, in-class assignments, homework, and a final portfolio.
Composition I. Texas Woman’s University. Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015.
Theory and practice of written and oral exposition and research in traditional and electronic environments; rhetorical principles and organization in practice. Class size approx. 20 students. Three lecture hours a week. Instructor of record: assessment includes three major essays, in-class assignments, and homework.
Composition II. Texas Woman's University. Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2017.
Theory and practice of critical exposition and rhetorical analysis in traditional and electronic environments; composing persuasive and investigative texts based on research. Class size approx. 20 students. Three lecture hours a week. Instructor of record: assessment includes three major essays, in-class assignments, and homework.
College Writing I. University of North Texas. Fall 2015.
College Writing I introduces students to rhetorical strategies as a language for developing new insights about the historical, material, and theoretical processes of writing. Class size approx. 25 students. Three lecture hours a week. Instructor of record: assessment includes four essays, in-class assignments, homework, and a final portfolio.
SAT Verbal Lessons. Karen Dillard’s College Prep. Oct. 2014-Oct 2018.
Instructor for the verbal and essay sections of the SAT at a center dedicated to preparing high school students for the standardized tests required to attend U.S. universities and colleges. Class sizes ranged from 5-12 students and larger for workshops. 7 verbal lessons in each 14-lesson course. Two-hour lessons with one-hour weekly workshops.
Medieval and Renaissance Texts. University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK. Oct-Nov 2010
Taught the medieval half of the sophomore-level course on medieval and early modern literature, including The Dream of the Rood and Chaucer’s The Miller’s and The Franklin’s Tales. Weekly tutorials of 6-8 students and assessment.
Teaching Awards
2016 – Winner of the Texas Woman’s University First-Year Composition Program Adjunct Teaching Award.
This award is presented to an adjunct instructor based on evidence of teaching effectiveness and contributions to the FYC program outside of the classroom, including participation in faculty meetings, the assessment committee, and support for students.
2015 – Winner of the Texas Woman’s University First-Year Composition Program “True Grit” Award.
The “True Grit” award is given to instructors with tougher-than-average grade distributions and higher-than-average assessment gains (controlling for class level and term).
Four students won the 2016 TWU FSA English Charter Chapter Writing Award, a first-year composition competition:
Two students won the 2015 TWU FSA English Charter Chapter Writing Award, a first-year composition competition:
This award is presented to an adjunct instructor based on evidence of teaching effectiveness and contributions to the FYC program outside of the classroom, including participation in faculty meetings, the assessment committee, and support for students.
2015 – Winner of the Texas Woman’s University First-Year Composition Program “True Grit” Award.
The “True Grit” award is given to instructors with tougher-than-average grade distributions and higher-than-average assessment gains (controlling for class level and term).
Four students won the 2016 TWU FSA English Charter Chapter Writing Award, a first-year composition competition:
- R. Jerome, “Should Art be Censored?” awarded in the Finding Common Ground category.
- M. Hesse, “Promote Adoption, Prevent Abortion,” awarded in the Proposing a Solution category.
- I. Ogombo, “Universal Healthcare,” awarded in the Arguing a Position category.
- A. Quimby, “Starbucks: Coff-Yay or Coff-Nay?” awarded in the Justifying an Evaluation category.
Two students won the 2015 TWU FSA English Charter Chapter Writing Award, a first-year composition competition:
- M. Pulido, “Surrealism in Art,” awarded in the Explaining a Concept category.
- E. Shelton, “Homework: An Outdated Practice,” awarded in the Arguing a Position category.
What students say about Dr. Cole:
"The instructor's greatest strengths are explaining concepts we are learning, and connecting them to how they are relevant to class assignments. She also brings equality into the classroom, and listens to every student's concerns; and makes sure that their concerns are met."
"[Dr. Cole] is passionate about her job. She comes to class ready to teach and help us learn. She has a large vocabulary and understands what she is teaching."
"She is very patient and does all she can to help her students understand the material."
"She makes it a priority for her students to understand what they need to understand. She forces group projects as daily participation and the group projects help because while in the groups, peers are helping each other."
"The instructor’s passion for the subject made me more interested and excited about it as well. I learned many new, useful skills in this class that I will be needing in the future."
"She understands a student’s strength and weaknesses; and based on that she uses various effective teaching techniques to improve that student’s work."
"[Dr. Cole] is passionate about her job. She comes to class ready to teach and help us learn. She has a large vocabulary and understands what she is teaching."
"She is very patient and does all she can to help her students understand the material."
"She makes it a priority for her students to understand what they need to understand. She forces group projects as daily participation and the group projects help because while in the groups, peers are helping each other."
"The instructor’s passion for the subject made me more interested and excited about it as well. I learned many new, useful skills in this class that I will be needing in the future."
"She understands a student’s strength and weaknesses; and based on that she uses various effective teaching techniques to improve that student’s work."