Dear Class,         

Throughout this English class I hope we can build a strong, trusting, and respectful relationship that allows for everyone to share their experiences and thoughts in a comfortable way. Communicating through the computer does put obstacles in the way of achieving this goal due to distraction and lack of ability to form strong connections, but I think with our in-class sessions in combination with the online sessions we could build a strong community.

I expect my classmates to fully participate in discussions and do the readings. Throughout high school when I would come to class for a discussion there was a large number of people who did not do the reading and therefore could not contribute to the conversation. I think that because everyone is coming from a different background and has had a different upbringing, we can learn from each other’s different perspectives.

I expect the professor to encourage difficult, controversial conversations throughout the course. During high school, my teachers would guide us through Socratic Seminars, but also let people express their ideas freely. In my senior year of high school, my English class read the book, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Throughout the discussions, everyone was able to really learn about the complexity of the monster. For example, I saw the actions of the monster as something that was inexcusable, but throughout the conversations, I was able to grow my thinking and start to think about Victor’s responsibility. The teacher would keep the conversation on the right track, but also encourage people to discuss varying ideas and opinions.

I expect myself to stay committed to my goal of becoming a clearer writer. I will be able to achieve this by spending more time on writing and giving my full attention during revision. I also expect myself to share out differing opinions and perspectives during class discussions.

Overall, I hope this class allows everyone to learn more about difficult subjects and be able to discuss differing opinions in a respectful manner.

Sincerely,

Zoe Sellers