Teaching Statement for Mehraneh Ebrahim, PhD

I believe in interactive teaching that stems from a respect for students and their diverse

disciplinary and personal backgrounds. Teaching involves connecting what is already known in

the horizon of the consciousness to the vast unknown beyond, one little step at a time. in this

laborious voyage, teachers are the facilitators, the inspirers, the awakeners, the Socratic

midwifes. I believe that without knowing where the students stand, without familiarity with their

needs and expectations, their dreams and aspirations, teachers cannot inspire them enough for the

journey toward the unknown. This is what I mean by interactive teaching, teaching as a voyage

out, or a dance, where participation flows both ways. Each class for me is a learning experience.

Teachers are not dictators or one-way lecturers, they are the listeners and observers first. By

recognizing the need and the seat of motivation of their students, they can stir this group journey

forward. Interactive teaching is nothing but a deep respect on the part of the teacher toward the

students’ abilities, needs, shortcomings and potentials. If not motivated, the students will never

whole-heartedly embark on this movement from the known toward the unknown, from the

familiar to the strange. Teachers are not just a mouth-pieces of knowledge, but recruiters for a

quest for knowledge.

But how to motivate a generation who is over-stimulated through the moving screen, and thus

desensitized to the slow progress of writing and reading? How to bring them back to books, get

them to burn midnight lamp? By reminding them that the skills necessary to write are those that

are necessary to think, and this is how we change the world. That great deeds start with a road-

map, a plan of action, a brain-storm, organized thoughts on paper, and much toil. The process is

reminiscent of writing the famous 5-paragraph essay. In order to succeed in life, we ought to be

able to communicate clearly what is in the isolation of our minds to the world outside. After all,

thinking does not happen outside language.

The course I taught on Graphic Novels and Trauma

In 2014-2015 I designed the syllabus, and lectured CLC 2112B in the department of Modern

Languages for the first time. I won the “University Student's Council Award of Excellence in

Undergraduate Teaching” for teaching this course. This recognition, generally won by full-time

faculty members, is awarded to:

o recognize, celebrate and award excellence in undergraduate teaching.

o provide support and recognition for the innovative teaching methods and

techniques demonstrated by Western’s finest faculty members.

o further the quality of education that is provided for all students at Western.

o involve members of our corporate and alumni community in the promotion of

excellence in teaching.

This course not only engages the students using a variety of teaching resources such as multi-

media context, but it also teaches them sound writing skills. This is a second-year course and

students from all disciplines can attend. I worked with my T.A., Rachel Wong, as a team to keep

students engaged with the material. We held regular meetings, attended each other’s classes and

gave each other constructive feedback regarding teaching techniques. Having been a T.A. for

years myself, I could give Rachel tips about effective communication with students as well as

ways to grade essays, presentations and final papers. The course was heavily writing-based. I

know that without small writing exercises, the reading assignments would be fleeting practices.

Students were encouraged to take notes while reading and bring mini-response-papers to each

class reading. A challenging task for marking each week, yet, these short paragraphs were

valuable tools for understanding the level of students’ writing. Rachel and I became familiar with

the strengths and weaknesses of students’ writings and devoted the tutorials to improving their

academic writing techniques. Once their basic writing mistakes were corrected, I could ask for

better midterm and final papers. I believed in helping students to acquire a valuable life-lesson in

writing that is why I opted for a writing assignment instead of an exam. Although this meant

longer papers to read and grade for myself, it gave the students time to sharpen their writing

skills and argumentation abilities.

It is interesting to note that Winter 2015 coincided with the tragedy of Charlie Hebdo. This was a

salutary wake up call for Student who thought that the written word has no major impact on the

“real” world. We are, after all, living in times of war and terror. Fears of about climate change

and pollution of the earth’s natural resources are not short of apocalyptic. This course offered

students critical tools in analyzing our current traumatic conditions while reading works of

literature and art. Contemplating and writing about pains of others, whether concerned with

political tragedy or sexual identity was therapeutic, inspiring, and relatable.

Due to my efforts in creating and teaching this course and because of the outstanding student

participation and evaluations, my portrait was (humbly) displayed in the Department’s hall of

fame.

Student Evaluations for the 4 courses I taught at Western: 7=Excellent 100%, 6=Very Good

90%, 5=Good 80%

Syllabus for the course: Graphic Novels and Trauma CLC 2112B Western University 2014-2015Instructor: Mehraneh Ebrahimi mebrahi8@uwo.ca T.A.: Rachel Wong rwong273@uwo.caOffice hours and location: UC27. TBA

Comic Books were generally categorized as a juvenile genre, read for pleasure and as an escape

from serious contemplation. However,

artists have recently taken to narrate

Traumatic historical topics such as the

Holocaust (Maus), or retell the private

and public dilemmas of young women

caught between revolution and exile

(Persepolis) through the Graphic Novel

medium. As the eye oscillates between

images and words, separated by the

emptiness of gutters, the imagination

flourishes to link the disparate frames.

The audience participate interactively in

filling out the narrative left blank and

fragmented. The graphic novel here

becomes a hybrid of texts and images that tells of personal as well as historical incidents. But

does the genre have the capacity to speak of such grave matters such as genocide, war, and exile

in its shorthand style? Is it ethically appropriate? These are among the questions that will be

posed through the course after reading a few texts on Trauma theory and closely reading/looking

at graphic novels. We will study and apply trauma theory and comics theory, talk about

autobiography and world history, analyze pictures as well as texts, and possibly create our own

comic books.

Grade Breakdown

Participation: 10% Mini response papers: 35% Midterm Essay: 10 % Presentation: 10% Final Essay: 35%

Active participation in class and tutorial:

Includes coming to class with reading materials, paying attention to the instructor/TA, or peers,

and participate actively in group discussions. My style of teaching is an interactive one, so I

won’t be up there talking alone. Your voices and opinions matter to me and help me guide the

discussions toward your interests.

10 mini response papers due every tutorial:

Every reading material requires one focus question and your tentative answer to that question.

When you read a text, see what sparks your attention. Try to ask a question or answer it. My

focus here is to get you engaged with the reading material. Your responses will help me

understand your comprehension and writing needs so I can help you improve them.

Midterm Essay

3-5 page MLA style essays due after the reading break. Engage critically with readings and take

note of the theory studied. During the tutorials you were prepared to write mini-responses to the

texts. In the class, we discussed the responses and learnt new theories that related to the texts. It

is now time to put your knowledge and your writing skills together to write a solid paper. This is

a great writing exercise and we are here to help you with it. Start early, come to us for help and

you will learn a valuable writing lesson.

Presentation

Students can present in groups or individually. Presentation should be focused on a few main

critical ideas. They do not have to be too inclusive of all topics related to a text. Instead, try to

teach your peers important lessons about the week’s reading. Aim at engaging the audience,

asking questions that spark curiosity. These are conversation sparkers, so ignite us!

Final Essay

Between 7 to 10 pages of MLA styled critical reflection on text. You may use ideas from your

mini essays or class presentations. You can elaborate on the questions that you have harbored

through the term. Focus will be placed on clear communication skills in writing. By the time you

write the final paper, you will have had several tutorial sessions honing your writing and editing

skills. These techniques will be evaluated in your final paper. Remember, it is better to be

understood than admired. So, write clearly, with confidence, and edit often. Your T.A. and I are

available and waiting for your questions in our office hours.

Texts:

Art Spiegelman, Maus I and Maus II or The Complete Maus Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis as well as the film Joe Sacco, Palestine Alison Bechdel, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Secondary Sources: Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics

PDF available on OWL:

“LaCapra on Trauma.” Excerpts from D. LaCapra, Writing History, Writing Trauma (2001) Charles Hirschkind and Saba Mahmood, “Feminism, the Taliban, and the Politics of Counter- Insurgency” (2002) Lila Abu-Lughod, “Do Women Really Need Saving?” (2002) Marianne Hirsch, “Editor’s Column: Collateral Damage.”(2004) Naghibi, Nima & Andrew O’Malley. “Estranging the familiar: East and West in Satrapi’s Persepolis” 2005

Week Break Down (preliminary):

Week 1 –Jan 5 Introduction Week 2- Jan 12 Maus 1 (136 pages of comics) First 23 pages of Understanding Comics Marianne Hirsch “Collateral Damage” Presenter/s: Week 3 -Jan 19 Maus2 (159 pages) Chapter 2 of Understanding Comics 1. Lawrence Langer, “Deep Memory” from Holocaust Testimonies (1991) (2 sections; read both) Presenter/s: Week 4 -Jan 26 Persepolis1 Chapter 3 of Understanding Comics Lila Abu-Lughod, “Do Women Really Need Saving?” (2002) Presenter/s: Week 5 -Feb 2 Persepolis2 Chapter 4 of Understanding Comics “LaCapra on Trauma.” Excerpts from D. LaCapra,Writing History, Writing Trauma (2001) Presenter/s: Week 6 -Feb 9 Draft of Essay due in Tutorial Persepolis-The movie in class Chapter 5 of Understanding Comics Presenter/s: Family day Feb 16- no class Week 8 Feb 23 Mid Term Essays Due Chapter 6 of Understanding Comics Week 9 -March 2 Fun Home 1st Half Chapter 7 of Understanding Comics Presenter/s: Week 10 -March 9 Fun Home 2nd Half Chapter 8 & 9 of Understanding Comics Presenter/s: Week 11 March 9 Palestine 1st half Charleschkind and Saba Mahmood, “Feminism, the Taliban, and the Politics of Counter-Insurgency” (2002) Presenter/s: Week 12 -March16 Palestine 2nd Half Presenter/s: Writing Workshop

Plagiarism – Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea or a passage of a text from another author, they must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where appropriate, and by proper referencing such as footnotes and citations. Plagiarism is a major academic offense (see Scholastic Offense Policy in the Western Academic Calendar). The University of Western Ontario uses plagiarism-checking software. Students may be required to submit their written work in electronic form for plagiarism checking.Absenteeism – Students seeking academic accommodation on medical grounds for any missed tests, exams, participation components and/or assignments must apply to the Academic Counseling office of their home Faculty and provide documentation. Academic accommodation cannot be granted by the instructor or department. UWO’s Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness Please refer to (https://studentservices.uwo.ca/secure/index.cfm) Downloadable Student Medical Certificate (SMC): https://studentservices.uwo.ca under the Medical Documentation heading

Enjoy the Course!

Some Class Notes and Slides. A Bit on Comic Theory:

Comic books are what novels used to be -- an accessible, vernacular form with mass appeal --

and if the highbrows are right, they're a form perfectly suited to our dumbed-down culture and

collective attention deficit. Comics are also enjoying a renaissance and a newfound respectability

right now. In fact, the fastest-growing section of your local bookstore these days is apt to be the

one devoted to comics and so-called graphic novels (McGrath, Charles. “Not Funnies.” New

York Times Magazine 11 July 2004.)

The much-quoted New York Times Magazine article then goes on to mention that: to master the

skill of looking carefully and reading along requires even more concentration than skimming a

book quickly. I argue that graphic memoirs as a contemporary form of “sequential art” loom as

one of the most appropriate media for re-imagining an Other(enemy) that can be identified as

human, as a kin. In our age of occulcentricism and terror, many factors contribute to the recent

widespread appeal of graphic memoirs for recounting traumatic historical moments from a

refreshingly playful and subversive perspective. These include:

o The contingency of the visual and the verbal planes foster a “bi-ocularity”[double-

vision] (Hirsch) that constantly fluctuates the attention from the center to the margins,

allowing for multiple readings, perspectives and speakers at once.

o Graphic Memoirs defamiliarize, estrange, and refamiliarize us with the grave event

through their cartoon avatars. The abstraction of the “faces” of these avatars allow for

identification on an intimate, personal level. The more abstract the face, the easier the

identification (McCloud).

o Their scattered “frames” parallel the fragmentary nature of human memory after an

encounter with the Real, with trauma, or with loss.

o Their contemplative “aporetic” (Naghibi) pauses between the panels invite audience

interpretation and demand an interactive personal “closures”(McCloud).

o Images have an inherent, “excessive expressivity” to them (qtd from Siebers in Hirsh

1211). Images leave a direct imprint on the “sense memory”, the “memory residing in the

body” of survivors (ibid).

“Words can be put into the service of sense memory”, but “vision has a very different

relationship to affective experience, experience which whilst it cannot be spoken as it is felt, may

register visually. The eye can often functions a mute witness through which events register as

eidetic memory images imprinted with sensation” (Jill Bennett Qtd in Hirsch 1211-12).

With their direct affective dimension, images are potent vehicles for transmitting visceral

sensations of pain or pleasure of others. Sequential images, in turn, form an interrupted

“staccato” narrative that moves with the drive of reader’s imagination. However, it is interesting

to note that the inherent vigor, violence, and accessibility in images make them a suitable vehicle

in the service of the elite in power as well: the church, the state and the police. Although images

have been used an abused by power, I argue that as

property of the people, public sequential images can never be fully appropriated. The relations

between images and violence, between the shot of the photographer and the sniper will be

discussed.

The apparent cohesion between the word, the image and the silence cannot be forced upon the

hybrid form, but is co-laborated between the reader and the hybrid text.

Some Slides and lecture notes

After reviewing Maus, I talk about the

fragmentary nature of trauma survivors memory

and how the comic medium can accommodate it,

playfully. Here because the survivor’s memory

is at times unstable about minor details (like

music playing at Auschwitz) the narrator has left

the “cello head” in the bottom frame. The comic technology allows you to have multiple

perspectives, at once, with less confusion. The fragmentary nature of memory in trauma has

playfully been drawn my Spiegleman. Now describing this in an essay, is the students’ nest task.

The distance between these two panels is called the “Gutter”. Your imagination only can create

“Closure.” You will see what happened in your mind and that is the beauty of the comic

technology

The University of Western Ontario

2011-12 Course and Instructor Evaluations - Fall / WinterInstructor Comments

Unit: Modern Languages & LiteraturesInstructor. Ebrahimi Eshratabadi, Mehraneh

Course Comparative Literature & Culture 1020 [TUT]Session: 1119Mehraneh is very enthusiastic & helpful as a TA. She has quickly answered any of my emails & has met with me to help me on assignments. She also marks very quickly. Overall she is a good TA, and CLC 1020 is a great course.

Very enthusiastic and warm. Encourages participation and individual problem solving. Overall: very good.

I like that the instructor encourages students to think independently and form their own opinions and interpretations of material in class, while still guiding the discussion. A wider range of presentation methods was useful in class - i.e. a combination of small group and large group discussions, visual aids, etc.Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Encourages discussion and reflection. Very approachable and available for consultation. Not very clear assignments or evaluations for tutorial.

What a perfect TA. Plus also your haircut is really cute. That is all for now.

Very good! No complaints!

On the whole, I found you to be a very fair, understanding, and accommodating TA. However, at times I found discussions in tutorials were sometimes a little dry, with peer interaction stagnating rapidly. Part of this lack of involvement was caused by a lack of interest in course material by some students, but my only suggestion is to try and improve this lack of interest and generate student engagement.

She is obviously very knowledgeable and passionate about the course, which is always helpful when learning new things. However, we never really did any quizzes or definitions or even preparation essays that could have really benefitted us. What went towards our participation mark was unclear. Overall really enjoyed having her as a TA though!

I don’t think I would have liked the course as much if I didn't have a Mehraneh as a TA. The tutorials atmosphere was one where she made me feel very comfortable about participating and was always very kind and understanding. She really helped instill what was taught in lecture.

Page-I May 2012

Western University

2012-13 Course and Instructor Evaluations - Fall / WinterInstructor Comments

Unit: Modem Languages & LiteraturesInstructor: Ebrahimi Eshratabadi, MehranehCourse Comparative Literature & Culture 1023

Session: 1129Mehraneh is a very friendly person. She is very positive and I feel comfortable speaking in her class. However, I don't always know what we are trying to achieve so maybe putting an outline on the board would give a nice sense of direction. Overall, I like Mehraneh as a teaching assistant.

The instructor is very enthusiastic and outgoing and has a good personality for teaching.

She is great!

Mehraneh is a fantastic TA.

The explanations of concepts addressed in lecture are very helpful. It was nice to have discussions about topics brought up in lecture that were confusing. I felt comfortable voicing my opinions and asking questions because the leaming environment was great. When addressing personal questions about essays, sometimes you were too vague but I understood what was expected. Overall, I'm very satisfied with your teachingThe instructor is open minded to discussions that are brought up by students in class time and a little too focused on own ideas regarding own topic, but pleasant to learn from!Great! Always tries to help and always smiling. Very good energy and tries to get the best out of the student.

She is a caring teaching and wants every student to succeed. She ensures that she is available to help.

The instructor makes points clear about what is expected. She keeps everyone on track, making sure we were listening and understandin . She covers most of what's necessary and prepares us very well.The instructor is very fair and understanding. She is always available for help in person or by email. She is very positive and happy and explains terms and concepts very well. She helps to understand what is being said in lecture and is helpful to go to.For the writing, I personally need space in order to fulfill my expectations. I transform into a hermit until it is exactly the way I want, which in turn conflicted with the step -by -step approach. You have been a great provider of knowledge and mentor.

I enjoy the tutorial and I feel like the questions I have about the reading and lecture are answered in tutorial. However, I would like more take-home materials that I can use to study.Excellent TA!

The TA is great at teaching. I understood her well. The amount of in-class assignments were fair and so was marking.Mehraneh will become a fantastic and clear ProfessorMay 2013

Brock UniversityDepartment ofEnglish Language and Literature

St. Catharines. Ontario Canada 1„2S 3A1

Telephone 905-688-5550 Ext. 3469Fax 905-688-4461

5 classes

20 September, 2010

To Whom it May Concern:

This letter is to confirm that Mehraneh Ebrahimi Eshratabadi is working as a Teaching Assistant under my supervision (for my ENGL IF97 course at Brock University) this academic term.

She is responsible for 5 seminar groups per week, and her employment commenced on 9 September, 2010. The term, and thus her contract, ends on 24 December, 2010.

Yours truly,

Dr. Susan SpeareyAssociate ProfessorDepartment of English Language and LiteratureAffiliated Faculty, MA in Social Justice and Equity StudiesBrock University500 Glenridge AvenueSt Catharines ON L2S 3A1Tel: (905) 688-5550 x 3885 Fax: (905) 688-4461 e-mail: sspearey@brocku.ca

WesternAugust 30th, 2013

Mehraneh EbrahimiDepartment of Modern Languages and Literatures Western University

Dear Mehraneh Ebrahimi:

This letter is an offer of employment as a Graduate Student Teaching Assistant (GTA) in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and also constitutes the letter referred to in Article 13.03 ofthe Collective Agreement between The University of Western Ontario and the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The Collective Agreement can be found at: http://uwo.ca/hr/form_doc/employee_agreements/gta.pdf

This offer of employment corresponds to a full Graduate Student Teaching Assistantship (GTAship).

Your employment as a GTA will be in the following course: CLC 1023, and your immediate supervisor will be Cälin Mihäilescu.

Your duties and responsibilities may include those functions listed in Article 17.03 of the Collective Agreement between The University of Western Ontario and the Public Service Alliance of Canada, but will primarily be as follows:

instruction, lecturing or supervision in classes, tutorials or laboratories, preparation of materials or set-up of required displays or apparatus for

classes, tutorials or laboratories. presence at designated lectures, holding of office hours and meeting with students,

grading of essays, assignments, laboratory reports, tutorials and term tests, proctoring of exams, conducting of field trips, employer required training, (including WHMIS and all other necessary health and safety training; AODA training; TA training) employer required meetings, reading and corresponding electronically with students relevant to the assigned course, and other teaching related duties

The University of Western Ontario