“I didn’t want to bring this up in class, but…”

Bring it up in class discussion anyway! 

And that includes, especially, questions about written assignments. Simple clarifications (“I didn’t understand this—what does it mean?”) are also very welcome.

The success of English classes depends on those students who are willing to express their opinions, be they controversial, confrontational, tentative, or inchoate, in a public forum.

Your comment or question might derail our whole discussion and take us to a new place. I would welcome that in an English class—you can count on me to restrict or steer discussion where necessary, but we need you to help fly to new places.

It’s not only for the sake of your participation grade. It’s mainly for the sake of your fellow students’ experience. They count on you to express your opinions and ask your questions. It’s why they’ve come to university—to share and compare and debate with fellow thinkers.

If you’re still too shy, I’ve got a ton of exercises we can work on together to allow you to engage in class discussion, but you’ve got to be willing to work with me. Come to Office Hours.