A collection of my original teaching resources
Welcome to my teaching portfolio, where I share reflections, resources, and my teaching philosophy. Feel free to browse the various sections and leave a comment if you're so inclined.
I've been teaching academic writing and linguistics at the undergraduate level for roughly 12 years now, at all levels of the undergraduate program, and at five different institutions throughout my career. I got my start in teaching at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, where I served as a writing coach at the Writing Centre in the faculty of humanities. My duties generally involved assisting students who needed last-minute mechanical revisions to their essays, but on occasion, I worked with students who were referred to the Writing Centre over a prolonged period. When I started the Ph.D. program in applied linguistics, I transitioned into lecturing courses in sociolinguistics while at UWI. I also lectured courses in communication at the neighbouring University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica during this time.
I came to Canada in 2008 as a Visiting Professor at York University where I developed courses on Jamaican language and culture. Since August 2016, I've been in the Department of English Language & Literature at the University of Waterloo, where I teach courses in academic and technical writing, linguistics, and Caribbean language and literature.
Explore, Apply, Reflect
Instructional videos that depart from the traditional lecture style
One of the aspects of my job I love is my freedom to explore a variety of teaching modalities. During the pandemic of 2020, when everything had to be done remotely, one of the things I started to do was create animated mini-video lectures. Combined with the readings, these videos proved to be a great source of information that was both engaging and entertaining. Here's one of those videos below:
ENGL210E - Genres of Technical Communication
Fun with Lego!
In my ENGL210E Genres of Technical Communication course, I seek to push students beyond simply understanding technical writing concepts. My goal is to provide hands-on, engaging experiences that demonstrate the real-world value of clear and concise technical communication.
One of my most successful approaches has been utilizing Lego bricks as a unique teaching tool. Rather than focusing solely on theoretical examples, I designed a project-based activity that challenged students to fully immerse themselves in technical writing practices.
The Challenge
Each team was required to:
Construct a Prototype: Use Lego bricks to physically build a model of their invention.
Craft the Manual: Develop a detailed instructional manual outlining every step of the assembly process.
The Test: Exchange their disassembled model and manual with another group, who would then attempt to rebuild the invention using only the provided instructions.
Results and Reflections
This assignment pushed students to think critically about every word, image, and technical specification used in their instructional manuals. The act of seeing their peers attempt to follow these instructions highlighted the importance of precision, clarity, and user-friendliness in technical writing. It also emphasized the potential for misunderstandings and misinterpretations when communication is unclear.
Beyond its technical writing focus, the project naturally fostered collaboration, problem-solving, and a healthy dose of humor as groups unveiled their unusual inventions. Students reported higher engagement and a deeper understanding of technical writing genres as a result of this hands-on, creative approach.
ENGL306A - Introduction to Linguistics
Fun with Lego, again!
Building Language: A Hands-On Approach to Morphology
Understanding morphology – how words are built from smaller units of meaning – can sometimes feel abstract for students. To make morphology tangible, I developed an interactive in-class activity using Lego bricks for my ENGL306A: Introduction to Linguistics course.
Introducing Legonese
I designed a miniature language called "Legonese," where individual Lego bricks represented specific morphemes (prefixes, suffixes, and root words). This simplified language mirrors the morphological system of natural languages, offering a focused environment for experimentation. Students received a "glossary" of Legonese morphemes and their meanings, along with a set of target sentences to construct.
Collaboration and Creation
Working in groups, students analyzed the target sentences, identified necessary morphemes from the glossary, and physically assembled their "Legonese" sentences using the bricks. This collaborative process turned morphology into a puzzle-solving exercise. As they gained fluency, students began generating their own creative and even poetic Legonese sentences, far beyond my initial examples.
Key Takeaways
This activity powerfully demonstrated several key linguistic concepts:
The Building Blocks of Language: Students gained a visceral understanding of how morphemes combine to create complex words and sentences.
Limited Inventory, Boundless Potential: The exercise highlighted how a small set of morphemes can generate a vast number of possible utterances.
Pandemic Adaptation: When in-person classes were disrupted, I successfully transformed the activity into a digital worksheet, maintaining its interactive appeal.
This Lego-based lesson consistently receives positive student feedback, with many reporting a deeper grasp of morphology and a newfound appreciation for the playful complexity of language.
Click to see a digital version of this exercise
BLKST210: Language, Life, and Literature in the Caribbean
Amplifying student imagination & creativity
My approach to teaching BLKST210: Language, Life, and Literature in the Caribbean emphasizes a dynamic interplay between critical thinking and creative expression. I believe that imaginative engagement can deepen a student's understanding of complex cultural themes far beyond the traditional essay format. Here's how I brought this approach to life:
1. Visualizing History: Comics on the Windrush Generation
To explore the experiences of the Windrush Generation, students were tasked with creating a comic strip. This medium pushed them to distill complex historical information into evocative visuals and dialogue. The process deepened their understanding of the challenges faced by Caribbean immigrants in post-WWII Britain while also allowing for artistic expression.
2. Embodying Tradition: Masquerader Design Project
Students were challenged to design a Carnival masquerader, a figure steeped in Caribbean cultural traditions. Working in 'island' groups, they crafted detailed backstories and mythologies for their characters before using AI technology to visually conceptualize their costumes. This project demanded cultural sensitivity, collaborative research, and engagement with emerging creative tools.
3. Elevating Student Voices: The Sankofa E-zine
For students who preferred a more traditional format, I offered the opportunity to submit essays for publication in the Dana Porter Library's Sankofa Student Journal. As co-editor for a special issue, I transformed select submissions into a dynamic online e-zine, amplifying student work and giving them a tangible platform for sharing their Caribbean studies research.
Outcome
These diverse assignments fostered a multifaceted learning environment where students could explore Caribbean culture through their preferred modes of expression. This approach nurtured creativity alongside critical analysis, leading to a deeper and more personally meaningful engagement with the course material.
"I like that we had lots of freedom to write about whatever we wanted. Especially with the narrative essay. This may just be a personal preference towards that type of writing but I really enjoyed the opportunity to be creative in that way."
"The professor is very interesting and offers a lot of insight! Makes learning linguistics fun and manages to be as hands-on as possible which is hard to achieve in an online platform. I enjoyed the enthusiasm which made me (a health studies student) very intrigued about linguistics."
Most important thing learned:
"English is more fun when you interact as a community"
What helped me learn:
"The wonderful environment that Dr. Forrester created"
Suggested changes:
"Dr. Forrester should teach more sections!"
Most important thing learned:
"The languages that make up Caribbean dialect. Caribbean countries are not all the same! Though many are similar, and have their own rich, distinct culture."
What helped me learn:
"Attending class!"
Suggested changes:
"A trip to the Caribbean during reading week :)"