Keishla Rivera-Lopez

Approach:

Keishla’s scholarly theoretical frameworks and pedagogical methods are inspired by inclusion and representation. These notions carry political, social, and cultural weight in (higher education) classrooms and syllabi. When curating syllabi for her courses, she includes narratives that reflect the diversity of our country and our world, by including theorists and writers who are working class, people of color, women, lgbtq, and the intersections of these identities. Her theoretical framework(s) and practice intersect in the classroom as she asks her students to problematize the omission of certain histories and voices and to question why other narratives are deemed important and valuable. Not only do these interrogative exercises develop students’ critical thinking and analytical skills, but it teaches them how to locate and analyze bias in the literary texts around them (music, journalism, poetry, speeches etc.). In addition, they are empowered to challenge the norm in my classroom and their daily lives. Her courses prepare undergraduates for success in the university and beyond through writing and close reading exercises and assignments, oral presentations, and research projects.