About Dr. Davis

I am a teacher.

I love to teach and I love to learn.  I learn and then I teach what I have learned.  Feel free to join me in that experience here on my blog.

My teaching experiences:

I have taught college English at two SLACs (small liberal arts colleges)- one inner city and one small town, one of the Big Ten, two community colleges of very different populations, and one small public university.

In addition to that, I have taught a remarkable variety of subjects in some wildly different settings. I was the main teacher in a one-room schoolhouse. I have taught middle school classes on history, apologetics, and creative writing. I have taught high school history, biology, and English. I have homeschooled two sons to college.

My education:

I have a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition from Purdue University. My second field was Old English.

My master’s emphasis was on Modern American and Middle English literature.

My undergrad was a dual major in history and English with a minor in biology from Abilene Christian University.

Aside from teaching I have worked at McDonald’s and as a waitress, a bookstore clerk, a tutor, and a secretary for the Spanish-speaking church in French-speaking Geneva.

I have another blog, Davis English that I use for my classes. There are some fascinating student posts there.

How this blog can help you

If you are a new college teacher and don’t have a clue, there are lots of them here.  Look around for help with your topic.

If you are a seasoned teacher who has become bored with teaching and your classes, there are ideas here for rejuvenating your teaching.  I find I like teaching more when I am learning.  You may find that works for you as well.

And, serendipitously, if you are a student who has been told to write a character analysis and don’t know how, you will find that on the blog as well.  (Most of my visitors these days seem to be you!)

Scholarly activity includes:

Conference presentations 

  • TYCA in October/November 2008.
  • Religious genesis in science fiction at SWTX PCA/ACA in February 2009.
  • Poetry reading at TCEA in March 2009.
  • Using fairy tales to introduce literary analysis at CCTE in March 2009.
  • State of the Profession on the internet versus books at CCTE in March 2009.
  • Examination of political leanings on Foxnews.com at PCA/ACA in April 2009.

Publications

“Key Worldview Concepts in Gulliver’s Travels.”  Gulliver’s Travels: Ignatius Critical Edition.  2009. (forthcoming)

“Themes in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.”  Encyclopedia of General Themes in Literature. 2009. (forthcoming)

Contact me: drdavis AT teaching college english DOT com