Dr Shilan Fuad

Teaching

I have previously taught in a variety of formats including large lectures, smaller classrooms, seminars, and individual tutorials. I am aware of the group dynamics that prevent some students – often, women – from speaking in larger groups. I am strongly committed to ensuring equal opportunity and promoting participation in diverse learning environments. For this reason, I vary group size and composition in seminars and make myself available for one-on-one discussion.

My teaching philosophy has been informed, broadened, and enriched by my research and past interactions. I have worked in an ethnically diverse and multicultural area of Italy which has exposed me to a variety of significant issues regarding race, migration, and multiculturalism. My interaction with students has kept me up to date on emerging scholarship and pushed me to explain insights from my own research in a way that connects to the student’s projects and level of knowledge. I have shared insights from my work in a way that has enabled students to clarify their own research questions and research design for their dissertation research.

I am an enthusiastic teacher, and my aim is to motivate and inspire students to learn. During my Ph.D. I assisted and taught B.A. and M.A. students, and contributed to the department’s activities, including organizing seminars and conferences. Moreover, I independently developed the course syllabus and lectures for a course on the Interpretation of Literature, for the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Urbino. Post Ph.D. (2014). 

Additionally, I was a lecturer of Arabic Literature, Language, and Culture at “Area Intercultura”, a private center for Arabic Studies in Savignano sul Rubicone (Italy), where I focused on: modern history of the Islamic World, modern Arabic literature, and Middle Eastern diaspora literature. I also taught Arabic as a foreign language to adult specialist and non-specialist learners, designed the teaching materials for the program, and conducted the examinations.