During the 2016-2017 academic year, I had the privilege of being a visiting assistant professor at
Wheaton College. The Wheaton English department has been home to some of the finest Christian scholars of literature. Men I’ve long respected for their work, like Clyde Kilby, Roger Lundin, and Alan Jacobs, have all called the the third floor of Blanchard Hall home. And the department is now home to a host of younger, dynamic professors whose work I already admire. Having the chance to work with such colleagues was a pleasure and an education. But the students make Wheaton particularly special.
As a parting gift, some of my students put together a few of their memories from our classes together. They are generous in their praise but, more importantly, their reflections present a lovely picture of what happens in the literature classroom. So, I wanted to share a few.
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Evan writes about why he decided to use on of his electives on a literature class…
Dr. Hughes is, quite simply, one of those professors who leaves one changed. I entered her first year writing class not entirely enthused about what is usually just a paper heavy general education course. That was absolutely not what the class turned out to be. When I left first year writing, I signed up for a literature class that did not contribute to my requirements in any way- simply because it was taught by Dr. Hughes.
In both classes that I took with Dr. Hughes, there was a singular emphasis on relationship building that augmented her effective teaching. Quite simply, Dr. Hughes cares. The concern shown in learning our stories coupled with a legitimate interest in what we had to say was remarkable. I know that every member of my classes felt that Dr. Hughes was pushing us because she actually felt for us as individuals. And, I have already begun plowing through her book recommendations for summer, and I am quite a fan so far!
Brandon reflects on his favorite unit, Australian Literature…
“When I registered for an introductory English literature class, I did so because I thoroughly enjoy reading. Dr. Hughes’ class certainly satisfied my literary hunger (with over 2,500 pages of reading!). But it was the discussion, meta-literary study, and supplemental material that ultimately made for a stellar class. I recall my favorite unit, studies in Australian literature, where Dr. Hughes gave us insight into Aussie culture complete with vegemite cheesy bread, stories of lost government officials, and a live reading of an Aussie children’s book. Dr. Hughes inspired passion as much as enjoyment in her classes; she encouraged us to go beyond the pages of the books we were reading and pull material from other sources, such as the movie
Apocalypse Now or the t.v. show
The Americans to deepen our understanding of the literature’s themes and how literature functions in society. I learned not just about the class material, but how to read well so that I can carry a meaningful conversation.”
Jared is continuing to engage the novels we read in his work as a musician…
At the beginning of this semester, Dr. Hughes told our class that we would need to write a series of book reviews for her class. She gave her assignment with the caveat that we could write traditional book reviews, or we could turn in something “creative.” As somewhat of a joke, I asked her if I could write a book review in the form of a metal song. “Sure!” Was her immediate response.
I ended up writing three full metal songs discussing themes from the books we had read throughout the semester. But that wasn’t the end of the project. I’ll be visiting a recording studio this summer to get those songs professionally produced and plan to have them available for purchase on Spotify and iTunes by the end of the year.
Dr. Hughes was an incredible encouragement to me as a writer and a lyricist, praising me when I felt discouraged, and challenging me when she saw I wasn’t giving my best. Her insights into the literature we read made novels, articles, and short stories come alive to me in a way I didn’t know was possible. She has been one of the greatest resources of wisdom and encouragement throughout my college career, and I’m deeply indebted to her for her tutelage.
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What my students don’t always fully believe is that
they are the ones who make our classes special.
Many thanks to all the Wheaton students who made my year there a simply wonderful time.
Jessica Ann Hughes
