Erich Hertz

My Siena Experience

My Teaching Philosophy

 In Philosophy, there is the idea of a tabula rasa, or empty slate. That idea made its way into theories of teaching long ago--that students came to teachers as empty slates to be "written upon." I think, however, that in good classes, we all bring our chalk to do writing on slates that already have writing on them. We can erase, rephrase, and add a good deal to each other in the course of our time together.

What I Love About Siena

 I love the size of Siena. On one hand, I get to see and work with students from their beginning courses through to their senior year. It's an amazing experience to watch and help them grow for four years. That is not something I could say about bigger schools where I've worked. On the other, the school is big enough that I am constantly meeting new faces and hopefully making connections with students who might want to take another of my classes.

My Favorite Courses to Teach

 I think all the courses I teach at Siena are my favorites. I get as much joy out of explaining the importance of writing and analyzing literature in English 011 as I do in my upper-level classes about film or contemporary British narrative.

My Professional Experience