Leah Flores Course Analysis: Cynthia Guerrero

By Leah Flores(Contributor)

When talking to Miss Cynthia Guerrero, she shares a similar concept in her classes: she wants students to be curious and interested in the work they create. While I may not require that, she desires them to be explorers and discover new things in their surroundings or within their societies and communities. According to her, there's freedom for exploration. Additionally, she wants students to understand why the classes she offers are important in their society. She encourages students to have a voice and to be curious because she doesn't want carbon copies of ourselves; she wants to foster the expression of people's ideas.

English 1301: Rhetoric and Composition. Mondays and Wednesdays

This class takes a more traditional approach as it is an introductory course. There are four main projects: a literacy narrative, a research paper, a remix story, and a reflection. For the literacy narrative, it’s simply an introduction of who you are and telling your story to the instructor. The research paper involves researching a topic of your choice, and the remix offers a new perspective derived from that research. Finally, there's a reflection on your overall experience in the class. Primarily, the focus is on understanding the importance of literacy in the world. The instructor provides examples of its demonstration in everyday life and offers practices to reinforce understanding. For instance, she asks you to examine flyers and evaluate their effectiveness. There are numerous activities in her classes because she prefers not to lecture extensively; instead, she encourages students to discover things for themselves and within their groups. Additionally, she poses questions of the day to nurture curiosity among her students. Overall, the instructor was inspired to create this class to provide students with the opportunity to discover things for themselves and to realize the presence of rhetoric in their surroundings.

English 1302: Rhetoric and Composition II. Mondays and Wednesdays.

In this class, the instructor encourages students to focus on positive aspects around the world. There are four major assignments: a podcast, a research paper, a public project, and a reflection. Additionally, she introduces the concept of counter-stories. These counter-stories highlight the experiences of individuals who are often marginalized or overlooked in society. The instructor challenges her students to incorporate this theme into their assignments. She also does not impose limits; she encourages exploration of challenging topics, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and discussing difficult issues. However, she emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, especially when discussing sensitive topics. Group work and daily questions are integral parts of her class. The instructor was inspired to create this course based on her own experiences as a student pursuing her PhD. She felt like an outcast among peers who were unlike her, and she aims to create a space where students can freely express their voices.