The most valuable things that a student can walk away from my class having learned often have very little to do with Linguistics. Regardless of whether they will pursue any sort of future career or studies related to the field, I believe it is my job to teach students to think like a scientist. That means, first and foremost, for them to challenge any preconceived notions they have about the object of study, in this case language, and to rebuild a framework for viewing language rooted in the scientific method. Along the way, I want my students to build the resilience it takes to engage in research.
Just as I teach my students to question prescriptivism, I try to be conscientious about not prescribing one particular way to do Linguistics. Instead, I offer them opportunities to question theories and frameworks which, along with building confidence, has the added benefit of demonstrating how the field actively evolves with the introduction of fresh brave ideas. When students ask me a juicy question, the most effective answer I can often give them is "I don't know, can you do some research and let us know what you find?"
I believe an inclusive and engaging classroom should give students as much freedom as possible to find the tools that work for them, while providing enough resources for them to succeed. To that end, I often find it most helpful to offer students choices- from the topics they want to pursue to the way they want to be evaluated for participating to the schedule that works best for them. This requires consistent communication between myself and my students. I work hard to build a classroom community so students feel comfortable approaching me with questions or concerns and so that they feel encouraged to collaborate with each other.
Sample Intro Final Paper Assignment
Sample Upper Level Syntax and Semantics Final Paper Assignment
Sample Scaffolding Reading Exercise
Introduction to the Study of Language
Syntax and Semantics: The Structure and Meaning of Utterances