Valerie Peyer
Valerie Jimenez Peyer
Lecturer
Office: H-324
Contact: VPeyer@qcc.cuny.edu / 718-631- 6088
-------------------------------------------------------
Education:
MA in Literature with Ethnic Studies Emphasis: Mexican American and African American Women Writers, Texas State University, 2002
BA in English, Texas State University, 2000
Teaching Philosophy
Actively teaching in the classroom and actively participating in conferences and professional development that foster a student-centered approach to education guide my philosophy as an educator. In both the writing and literature classrooms, I emphasize thinking and writing critically at all stages of the reading and writing process and provide opportunities for students to connect and reflect on their work. Because of this philosophy, students can expect a lot of active learning and collaborative work in our classroom. Moreover, I believe that seeing education as a social justice issue and fostering the diverse experiences each student brings to the classroom both support and enhance two of the main goals we have for our students: recognizing our social, civic, and personal responsibilities and understanding how written works are expressions of these individual and communal values.
Activities & Interests:
A native Texan, I moved to New York in 2017, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the QCC English Department. Prior to moving to the East Coast, I taught at Temple College (near Austin), Lone Star College-CyFair (Houston), and Northwest Vista College (San Antonio). Since 2004, I have taught First Year Writing courses, an area that I am passionate about and enjoy. When I’m not teaching, you can find me pondering about my next Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, watching a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse, or checking out new music on KUTX.
Faculty Exchanges & Conference Presentations
NEH/CCHA Summer Institute Scholar. “Transcendentalism and Reform in the Age of Emerson, Thoreau, and Fuller.” National Endowment for the Humanities/Community College Humanities Association. Concord, MA, July 12 – 25, 2015.
“Today’s Academic Job Market in American Literature: ‘Strategies and Considerations II.’” Roundtable Panelist. American Literature Association’s 27th Annual Conference. San Francisco, May 2016.
“‘How to Format What?’ Helping Students Learn MLA Format.” Co-Presenter. National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Annual Conference. Austin, May 2012.
“The Supernatural in Joyce Carol Oates’ ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” Co-Presenter. Conference of the Two-Year College English Association – Southwest. League City, TX, October 2011.
“PIE: Essay Structure Review.” Faculty Forum on Best Practices. Texas A&M University Central Texas. Killeen, TX, April 2011.
“The Collaboration of an Honors Learning Community Series.” Co-Presentation. The Greater Houston Education Collaboration Group Spring 2008 Professional Lecture Series. Lone Star College – CyFair. Cypress, TX, April 2008.
“The Advocacy Center at Northwest Vista College.” Co-Presenter. One-Day Conference on Promoting Student Success Through Technology. Del Mar College. Corpus Christi, TX, April 2005.
