Evidence of Excellence in Teaching

Michael D. Dwyer
In this document I have summarized my teaching experience in film, popular culture, literature and composition
at Syracuse University. The first section of this document includes brief descriptions of the courses I have
individually designed and taught from 2004 to 2009, as well as positions I have held in teacher training and
mentorship. The second section summarizes quantitative data collected on course evaluation forms used to assess
teacher performance at Syracuse. As the results indicate, I have gained and maintained a reputation as an
instructor that is highly prepared, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and challenging. My average effectiveness across
these rubrics has steadily risen, culminating in a rating of 4.73 out of 5 in Spring 2009. This score has put me
among the highest ranked teachers of lower-division courses in the department. Taken as a whole, my average
rankings exceed departmental averages in nearly all fields. I am particularly proud that while students increasingly
identified my course as challenging, this did not result in any significant reduction in reported clarity of
communication or willingness to listen to diverse viewpoints. Teaching is a recursive process and I am committed
to improving students' classroom experience without sacrificing intellectual rigor.
This commitment is reflected in the selected student comments I have included in this document's final section. I
take a great amount of pride in my work as a teacher, and gain great satisfaction when students describe my class
as intellectually stimulating, relevant, and engaging. For brevity's sake I have included comments from only
a handful of students. Copies of original instruction evaluation summary forms and student comments are
available upon request, or can be viewed at my online portfolio, http://michael.d.dwyer.googlepages.com.

Dwyer Teaching Excellence - 2

Courses Taught:
English and Textual Studies
ETS 154 : Interpretation of Film
(Spring 2010, Spring 09, Spring 08, Summer 07)
This course aims to integrate a close attention to the specific aesthetic, formal, and rhetorical aspects
of film with a wide-ranging exploration of the historical, social, and cultural contexts that shape how
one makes sense of and takes pleasure in films.
ETS 145: Reading Popular Culture
(Fall 09, Fall 08, Summer 08, Spring 07, Fall 06)
Entry-Level course intended to provide students with critical skills to interrogate a range of popular
media. Attention is given both to the formal or generic conventions of popular culture texts as well
as theoretical approaches to popular culture.
ETS 182: Race and Literary Texts
(Fall 2007)
This course focuses on literary and cultural texts in an attempt to interrogate issues of race. In the
process, students will explore how racial categories have been created and re-created culturally, and
consider how categories like gender, class, and sexuality intersect with race.

Composition
WRT 104: Introduction to College- Level Writing
(Summer 2006)
Developmental course to prepare at-risk students for WRT 105, focused on college-level reading and
writing practices. This particularly includes learning composition for university audiences, active
reading of challenging texts, and crafting original interpretive claims.
WRT 105: Practices of Academic Writing
(Fall 2004, Fall 2005)
University-wide introductory composition course centered upon the aims, strategies and conventions
of academic prose, particularly in critique, analysis and argument.
WRT 205: Critical Research and Writing
(Spring 2005)
Intermediaate-level composition course focused on the practices of critical, research-based writing,
including research techniques, evaluation of sources, and developing wide-ranging expertise in a
particular field.

Teacher Training and Mentorship Positions

Graduate School Teaching Fellow
(Summer 2008, Summer 2007, Summer 2006)
Facilitate small group of new TA's in University-wide orientation program, lead Professional
Development seminars throughout the school year. Competitive award.
Fulbright Program FLTA Teaching Mentor
(Summer 2009)
Prepare new Fulbright Scholars for their role as instructors in American Universities. Competitive
award.
WRT 670: Graduate Teaching Practicum Coordinator
(Fall 2005, Spring 2006)
Year-long pedagogy practicum for first-year teachers in composition. Particularly focused on core
pedagogical strategies, daily troubleshooting, support and mentorship.

Dwyer Teaching Excellence - 3

Quantitative Data from Course Evaluations:

COURSES IN
ENGLISH
Number of Students
Instructor was fair
Instructor was
prepared
Instructor was
knowledgeable
Instructor was
enthusiastic
Instructor
communicated
clearly
Instructor was open
to opposing
viewpoints
Instructor was
challenging
Instructor was
excellent teacher
AVERAGE

COURSES IN
COMPOSITION
Number of Students
Instructor was
prepared
Instructor was
knowledgeable
Instructor was
enthusiastic
Instructor was
challenging
Instructor was
available

ETS 154 ETS 145 ETS 145 ETS 154 ETS 182 ETS 154 ETS 145 ETS 145 TOTAL DEPT
SPR 09 FALL 08 SUM 08 SPR 08 FALL 07 SUM 07 SPR 07 FALL 06 AVG
AVG
22
4.5

21
4.43

18
4.61

23
4.17

15
4.53

19
4.72

22
4.45

23
4.17

163
4.45

4.19

4.77

4.9

4.61

4.78

4.67

4.89

4.36

4.26

4.65

4.52

4.91

4.76

4.56

4.57

4.47

4.84

4.73

4.52

4.67

4.72

4.95

4.76

4.78

4.83

4.67

4.89

4.68

4.39

4.74

4.69

4.68

4.57

4.67

4.52

4.53

4.79

3.86

4.04

4.46

4.29

4.64

4.76

4.83

4.64

4.4

4.89

4.09

4.17

4.55

4.27

4.64

4.62

4.5

4.32

4.2

4.74

3.91

4.37

4.23

4.73

4.81

4.81

4.64

4.6

4.89

4.23

4.59

4.31

4.73

4.7

4.67

4.56

4.51

4.83

4.26

4.22

4.56

4.4

WRT105 WRT205 WRT105

FALL 05 SPR 05 FALL 04

TOTAL

17

37

63

100%

100%

97%

99%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

89%

96%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Dwyer Teaching Excellence - 4

Selected Student Comments:

This was definitely my favorite class this semester. I learned so much and wanted to learn because of his
enthusiasm for the subject. Readings and papers were challenging, but in a good way.
Interpretation of Film, Spring 2009.

This was an interesting, engaging course. Michael Dwyer was honestly the best teacher I've had at Syracuse. He
was funny, to-the-point, entertaining and thought-provoking.
Interpretation of Film, Spring 2009
This class provided me with the tools to critically look at what things are popular and what is made to be
popular. It was more than just viewing shows or movies, it was basically a philosophy class, and it turned out to
be better for it.
Reading Popular Culture, Fall 2008.
I had never devoted much time to thinking philosophically about pop culture. The theories, both simple and
complex, forced me to change the way that I think.
Reading Popular Culture, Fall 2008
I liked that the course was not limited to interpretations of movies, etc. but that it focused on theories of popculture, and on broader social implications.
Reading Popular Culture, Fall 2008.
This was my favorite class this semester. I found the professor very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, which made
me want to participate and learn. I found the actual topics to be compelling, and communicated in a way that I
could understand. Overall, this class was great.
Reading Popular Culture, Fall 2008
Mike is one of the best professors I have had since I've been here. I specifically tried to take another class he is
teaching but unfortunately it is not offered to seniors.
Interpretation of Film, Spring 2008
Challenging class, I learned a lot about film and the industry. Mike will make a good professor.
Interpretation of Film, Spring 2008
It brought different aspects of film to my attention, and how to analyze film in a different way.
Interpretation of Film, Spring 2008

Since this course's material is relevant to everyday life (specifically its racism and diversity content) the rest of the
students and I were more engaged in classroom discussion compared to other English classes that I have been in.

Dwyer Teaching Excellence - 5

Each individual reading piece offered more thorough and interesting insight to the course's eventual goal. Mike
Dwyer is a phenomenal teacher b/c he truly cares about his students and wants us to leave the classroom with a
greater comprehension and broader frame of mind.
Race and Literary Texts, Fall 2007
I enjoyed the diversity in reading materials and additional texts. There was not a limit to black-white race
relations in various texts, and this helped me gain even more from the class.
Race and Literary Texts, Fall 2007

This was one of my favorite classes this semester. Michael Dwyer is by far one of the best teachers I've had in my
(almost) 4 yrs. here at Syracuse University.
Reading Popular Culture, Spring 2007
I found this course to be very intellectually stimulating. We are constantly submerged in popular culture and this
course offered a new way to view and interpret the overwhelming abundance of it. The instructor was thorough
and well-prepared for class. He expanded the ways in which I think about things I previously loved: film and
music. Overall, I was impressed with his knowledge of the material and his ability to portray that knowledge in a
logical way.
Reading Popular Culture, Fall 2006
Michael was awesome. He gave us different perspectives than just the book stuff, and made the class exciting and
fun. He even had us write scripts of a real argument on a paper we read so we could act them out and understand
arguments. Mike joined and it was fun and interesting
Practices of Academic Writing, Fall 2005
I didn't come into this class expecting to enjoy it, but it was a lot more interesting than I imagined
Practices of Academic Writing, Fall 2005
He scheduled appointments for everyone in the class. He accepted online drafts, and always gave feedback. He
was also never late, or edgy. Mr. Dwyer remained professional at all times.
Practices of Academic Writing, Fall 2005
[Michael] created different and inventive ways of learning [for us] and always looked for new participants.
Practices of Academic Writing, Fall 2004