Himanee Gupta-Carlson
Himanee Gupta-Carlson reads from a Zine she created
during December 2009 Write-o-Rama at the Richard
Hugo House in Seattle. (Photo by Jim Gupta-Carlson)
About my teaching
Teaching is a little like a dance, in which the teacher
might serve as the initial lead but relies upon the enthusiasm and energy
of each student with whom she partners for fluidity and grace in each step
of the learning experience.
I began teaching in 2001, as a graduate student at the University of Hawai'i.
Since then, I have worked with hundreds of students on a variety of topics,
ranging from political science, U.S. History, the South Asian diaspora,
Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, hip-hop politics and culture, the role of
borders in American lives, and writing from an immigrant perspective.
A few beliefs unite these topics into my philosophy of teaching:
- Learning should be fun.
- Students come into a class with experiences
that add value to the overall learning community.
- Students learn best when creating knowledge becomes a hands-on experience.
If you take a class with me, you will write.
You will create visual stimulants such as collages.
You will share your insights with each other and with me.
You might even dance.
Some projects that students and I have created together include:
- A set of oral histories based on interviews between art students
and survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
- Electronic albums of graffiti images.
- A virtual classroom in which I conversed with students about the
inauguration of Barack Obama as president from the grounds of the
Washington Monument as the event was taking place.
In my current position at Empire State College's Center for Distance
Learning, I teach online courses and work one-on-one with students
to create independent studies of their choice. If you would like to work
with me to arrange such a study, e-mail me
You do not have to be a matriculating Empire State College student to take a class.
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