How I Teach | Paula Rolim

Teaching Philosophy

A student-centered approach grounded in authenticity, diversity, and strategic learning.

My pedagogical response has centered on creating relevant, meaningful reading and writing opportunities to prepare both students who may feel disconnected from college as well as those ready for it. From day one, I have emphasized differentiated learning, including opportunities for guided, just-in-time instruction, embedded support, and revise-and-resubmit options.

The use of portfolio assessment has encouraged students to take authentic ownership of their learning growth, critically reflecting on effective strategies they used in their writing process. This experience has been a work of constant refinement and growth as I respond to students' needs.

My courses revolve around a story. Like a good story, I adapt each iteration to better meet the audience. In Composition 1, the units move from exploring a personal viewpoint, to an article analysis, to synthesizing multiple articles, culminating in their capstone project, where they reflect upon themselves as writers.

Core Principles

Authentic Writing Experiences: Students engage in genres applicable outside of English class — literature reviews, proposals, public service announcements, and digital portfolios — facilitating audience awareness and transfer of writing knowledge.

Variety of Teaching and Learning Methods: Scaffolded activities with differentiation in mind, including graphic organizers, scenario-based learning, small-group discussion, and workshop-style instruction.

Strategic Application of Writing Knowledge: Modeling tasks using the "I do, We do, You do" structure, encouraging students to develop a personal toolkit of reading and writing strategies.

Portfolio-Based Assessment: Students gather work, reflect on their process, and critically assess growth based on summative and formative feedback.

Teaching has been a work of art, and as I encourage students' revision, reflection, and growth in writing, I have also examined my own practices for improvement. Essential to the discipline I teach, these discussions remain at the heart of my professional development.