MFA in Creative Writing - Da Chen

Teaching Philosophy

A teacher is merely a gardener who nurtures his plants, letting them be shown by the sun and be watered by the rain. The plants have to grow by themselves, under the gardener's watchful eyes. I came to grasp the craft of writing by writing firstly about my own life. Life has the most to teach about writing. Everyone is a born storyteller; but one's writing isn't. It has to be learned, and can be augmented by much practice. I aim to serve my students. I aim to enable them. My student's work in progress is what binds me to them. It's the boat that we ride together to get to the other shore. A teacher teaches by learning about his students; a student learns by discovering his own depth and potential. It's about crossing the water, getting drenched, and beating the odds.