| Welcome to |
Gavilan College English Department |
|---|---|
Contact Information |
Cheryl Chaffin (Please note: The best way to reach me is via email. I do not check phone mail on a regular basis.) |
| Academic Background | I have an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. BA from San Jose State University. I have been with Gavilan College since 2001. Currently, I'm a Ph.D. candidate in Humanities & Culture with Union Institute & University. My doctoral studies focus on women's writing through the prism of literary study, feminist thought, and ethical philosophy. I'm interested in how writers create increasingly just societies through vocality of personal narrative in the public sphere. |
| Areas of Expertise | Creative writing; memoir & autobiography; contemporary literature; critical thinking and textual analysis; social justice issues and ethics; second language learners; openness to multiplicity of student experiences and backgrounds. |
| Course Information | In Spring 2010 I teach one section of English 1A (Section 40028) & one section of English 1C Critical Reasoning & Writing (Section 40077) online. Click here for the course home page for English 1A. Click here for the course home page for English 1C. |
| Teaching Approach | Students in my courses write personal narrative, analytic/critical, and research essays. We focus on good literature -- primarily personal essays, memoirs, and critical works as a means of developing and refining our own writing, language, and critical capacities. Emphasis is on clarity of thought and expression and improvement in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Students are encouaged to express and deepen ideas and questions (both in writing and reading). I also emphasize learning to speak and share aloud (in online forum discussions) and creation of increasing confidence around learning in community and articulating your mind to others. Students leave my courses having developed into increasingly skilled thinkers and writers. |