In order to be a successful English teacher, it is essential to have a strong knowledge of the subject matter. As an undergrad, I was able to cultivate and experiment with my passion for reading and writing, and that experience served as a solid foundation on which to build as a graduate student at Hunter. During that time, I have explored subjects ranging from 20th Century American Novels to Shakespeare. My deep appreciation for multicultural literature drove me to explore the beauty of language from a variety of perspectives, which is a critical component when working with students from such a culturally diverse city. Many of these courses required a large amount of textual and critical analysis, as well as writing. In fact, being able to analyze and critique a text can create endless possibilities in a student's exploration of the English language. It opens them up to a discussion of what words mean on the page, or to our society in general. Most importantly, it opens them up to discussing the ways in which the text is relevant to their own lives.
The following is a critical theoretical argument that synthesizes my graduate literature studies at Hunter College. It represents a culmination of my work involving Marxism, cultural conflict and the idea of "hegemonic equilibrium."