shifra
sharlin
I agree with Alexander Meiklejohn that ILS can be a liberal arts college within the university. I differ from Meiklejohn, however, in my belief that we don't just think together independently, we also eat, drink, read, and write together, independently. My goal as a teacher in ILS is to give my students a great deal of personal attention and, even more important, the opportunity to form an intellectual community. What better way to form a community than by reading, writing, eating, and drinking? Together of course. In my classes, students read and comment on one another's writing, and bring snack. From my experience as a writing teacher for over 10 years in a variety of settings (UC-Berkeley's Rhetoric Department, a local Madison ESL school, UW's Business School, and UW's English Department First-Year Composition) and as a writer of eccentric essays, I believe that writing can be an opportunity for self-expression, self-discovery, and community. I want to give my students an opportunity to find their voices, to find out what they can say that no one else can. I have been teaching in ILS for only three semesters. I've taught courses on place and identity, travel, and the little magazine. This summer I'm developing a service-learning course to take students to Madison's immigrant communities. I am married to David Sorkin, who teaches in UW's History Department. We have four children: Phoebe, Gideon, Isaac, and Naomi. In my spare time I read, write, eat, and drink - with others. I love to cook for my friends and family. I often have dinner parties and am world famous for my brownies and French-style bread.
Shifra Sharlin teaches the following courses...
