Melissa Frazier

Education

• University of Cincinnati, B.A. Linguistics
• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, M.A. Linguistics
• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Ph.D. Linguistics

Teaching philosophy

Important skills I want to teach my students

We read literature to understand the world and understand ourselves. I want students to feel comfortable reading diverse material and asking questions about what they read.  This helps students develop their critical thinking skills.  

Teaching methods to reach these goals

I encourage plentiful class discussion.  While there are times that lectures are needed to convey important information, every member of the class has something unique to say, and I want to hear from them.  The students benefit when they hear a variety of perspectives about the reading material.

My favorite projects

It’s really interesting to see connections between works of literature that come from different time periods or different parts of the world.  I enjoy projects that encourage these comparisons and bring out the humanity that underpins written works across the globe.

Why I love teaching

I love exchanging ideas with students and learning from them.  Everyone brings their own experiences into what they read, and that leads to new understandings with each discussion.  Teaching is energizing!