Dr. Ivy league

I just want to take a moment to admire Dr. Ivy league. I was so totally daunted by the amount of work for the class -- weekly posts on questions about readings, 4 mini presentations (yes, it' only 10 min each but still speaking in public is terrifying), a writing group (yes! including analysis of other people's drafts!) the final paper, which doesn't simply apply a theory to cultural text but rather discovering or scrutinizing why it is we are so intrigued by a particular topic (for me, it's sexual ambiguity), and then a mock conference where we present our final papers to our peers!

So i have just been thinking about what her possible goals for the class -- that is, what she really wants to accomplish as a teacher, what she wants us to walk away with after the last 3 weeks of class. I think she is doing something really interesting with our final papers, which is unlike my other seminars. For instance, Fem prof just wants us to do a feminist reading of a book-- 15 pages plus research. But for Dr. Ivy leage -- it's all about me, my interests; it's about really trying to zero in why I really like doing what I do, why my reading or analysis matters. She wants us to be critics and to have a dialogue with all the theoretical works we've read this semester.

Of course, I also think she is pushing us to articulate our interests and ideas for the MA thesis. So I feel like our final paper, to some extent, is preparing us for that thesis. My interests will define who I am, what kind of academic I will be, and the kind of scholarly work I do. My experience matters. So, Dr. Ivy league -- you are inspiring and I value your work. I hope you get tenured, and if students have another opportunity to write a recommendation for you, I will totally do it.