Stephen Cicirelli, M.F.A.

“In my classes, I use a combination of lecture and discussion. When class is at its best, I feel less like a professor and more like a moderator, allowing my students to engage directly with one another and with me. This approach empowers students. They become invested and emboldened and are up to the task when I ask them to clarify their positions or when I challenge their assumptions. Every good teacher I’ve ever had has been able to peel away the layers of complexity to let an idea show in its simplicity. This is my goal every time I step in front of my classes. For me, good writing and good thinking are not skills that develop independently of each other. They develop in tandem, and to nurture one and not the other is to do only half the job.”