My teaching is informed by classical and contemporary theories of rhetoric and education, strongly influenced by Greek philosopher Isocrates and contemporary education theorist John Dewey. I seek to move students from theory, reflection, and research into community-based writing through a process that overlaps learning, discovery, and engagement. From my twenty-three years of teaching and tutoring writing, I have found that students can best prepare themselves for the types of writing they will face by developing a composing process that considers the ever changing rhetorical situations of their work. Therefore in my courses, students use theory, reflection, research, and practice to grow into proactive rhetors, moving from writing to informed action. The following three concepts from classical rhetoric guide my teaching: kairos, stasis, and heuriskô.

Kairos: Doing the Right Thing at the Right Time

It is important to do the right thing at the right time, enacting what the ancient Greeks called kairos. In their book, Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students, Crowley and Hawhee state that kairos “…was so important for ancient thinkers that it became a mythical figure” (38). The Judeo-Christian tradition has adapted the ancient idea of kairos, and today many denominations—including Jesuit organizations—use kairos as a foundation for programs focused on the value of “God’s time.” Even though kairos does not have an precise English term, the idea of kairos influences contemporary writing studies and my idea of the rhetorical situation: “Kairos is thus a ‘window’ of time during which action is most advantageous” (37). I try to equip my students with a variety of tools that they can use depending on the context of their call to write.

My writing courses begin with classical rhetoric; students learn about rhetorical situations—purpose, audience, context, kairos, etc.—and the elements of rhetoric, including Aristotle’s proofs (ethos, pathos, and logos). Students use rhetorical analysis, including the logical fallacies, to study the strategies that authors use in various types of discourse. Though these ideas seem deeply philosophical, I always connect theory with practice by asking students to use their skills to analyze situations and discourses that influences their lives. In this way, I believe my students connect theory, reflection, research, and social justice to act kairotically, combining words with deeds.

Stasis and Logos Dunamis: Power with, Versus Power Over

I believe in using language and writing to build power with people rather than using language and writing to build power over people. Stasis theory, a collaborative method of pre-writing, is an effective process for writing and working with people. From classical rhetoric, we learn that Aristotle and Hermagoras developed stasis theory to help rhetoricians conduct thorough analysis and to move from theory to action. Specifically, stasis theory asks people to investigate four elements of an issue at hand:

1. The Facts

2. The Definition of the Issue

3. The Seriousness of the Issue

4. The Policy to Address the Issue

These four steps work well as a generative heuristic that helps foster analysis and cooperative teamwork appropriate for composition, rhetoric, and technical writing courses. Moreover, integrating the stases into my curriculum shifts the focus of the writing class from purely eristic approaches to rhetoric—in order to win an argument, your opponent must lose—to more collaborative ideas of rhetoric. These cooperative approaches emphasize building power with one another (logos dunamis) instead of building power over one another (logos hegomon), mirroring the social justice ideology of my scholarship and pedagogy.

I came to the power with (logos dunamis) approach as a result of my first semester teaching composition at Virginia Tech. After studying rhetoric and writing for 16 weeks, I asked my class to explain rhetoric; their answer stunned me. One of my best students replied, “Rhetoric is using language to get people to do what you want.” My other students nodded in agreement. I concluded that despite a semester of conscientious instruction, I had fashioned twenty bloodthirsty sophists (classical rhetoricians considered amoral by philosophers like Isocrates, Aristotle, and Plato). As I continued teaching writing, I researched other approaches to rhetoric and eventually came across Isocrates’ theory of logos dunamis, which roughly translates to "power with." This theory stands in contrast to logos hegemon, which basically means "power over." Since discovering these discursive approaches to rhetoric, I have asked my students to use their skills to build knowledge collaboratively rather than using rhetoric “to get people to do what you want.”

Heuriskô: Discovery through Research

I believe in using careful, ethical research as a method of discovery and invention. In her essay, “Kairotic Encounters,” Hawhee notes that, “the concept of invention comes from the Greek verb heuriskô, which may be translated ‘I discover’…” (17). Influenced by this approach to discovery, but also influenced by empirical methods, I follow a teaching process that integrates theory, research, and practice—praxis. Therefore, I am guided by my own research on the interaction of humans and technology (usability testing) and my work with the community. Moreover, my concept of praxis is guided by the ancients’ notion of building “copiousness of information” where a rhetor collects as much information as possible before composing a speech or document.

My work with students is guided by the three concepts outlined above, but I also enjoy and find deeply rewarding the mentor relationship that is often so vital in young people’s lives. Some of the most important lessons teachers can impart are the lessons not covered in class. For example, I often discuss life-work balance with students, along with professionalization skills and information about graduate school and the workplace.

Sometimes, however, students need more than academic lessons as they grapple with the challenges of young adulthood. In past semesters, I have spent considerable time mentoring students who have struggled with SLU’s challenging curriculum. Tackling this tough curriculum sometimes takes academic growth as well as growth in other areas of students' lives: maturity, time management, seeking help when necessary. More than teaching writing or student skills, teaching life lessons can sometimes be the assistance that helps young people work through challenging times.

Through my teaching and research, I have found that a keen understanding of rhetoric and a firm commitment to using discourse to build knowledge collaboratively helps my students write in a variety of contexts. Moreover, a thorough and principled approach to inquiry provides my students with the research skills they will need to solve problems and communicate effectively with others, supporting Loyola’s goal of helping students achieve eloquentia perfecta.

My hope is that my students, through their work with writing and civic engagement, as well as a discerning approach to life, can move into adulthood as responsible members of our society. In this way, my pedagogy supports SLU’s Jesuit mission of forming people for others.

Read, Reason, Write: An Argument Text and Reader 13th edition (McGraw-Hill 2023) co-authored with Dorothy U. Seyler enacts my teaching philosophy. Select this link to read the 13e flip book.