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Michelle J. Hager

Hager, Michelle J.

Lecturer AY-A,  English
Lecturer 12 Mo-A,  Student Writing Center
SSP Academic Related I AY,  Student Academic Success Svcs

E-mail
michelle.hager@sjsu.edu
Additional Contact Information

Phone Number(s)
(408) 924-5073
(408) 924-2279

Office Hours
My office hours will be held in the Writing Center, Clark Hall 126. Spring 2012 Hours: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00; Thursdays, 3:00-4:00; and by appointment

Courses

Education

  • Master of Arts. English, San Jose St Univ, 2005
  • Bachelor of Arts, English
    CSU-San Jose, California, United States, 2003

Licenses & Certificates

  • Certificate in Professional and Technical Writing
    San Jose State University, California, United States, 2003

Bio

I am a lecturer in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, and I am the Associate Director at the SJSU Writing Center. I primarily teach English 1A and English 1B (Composition courses), but I also teach English 112A (Children's Literature), English 106 (Editing for Writers), English 103 (Modern English Grammar), and English 7 (Critical Thinking). In the past, I also taught classes at Santa Clara University and California State University Monterey Bay. In addition to teaching at SJSU, I'm also an alumnus; I received my B.A. in English in May 2003, and I graduated with my M.A. in English in December 2005. I began teaching in Fall 2004, while I was working toward my Master's degree. I am not one of those people who "always knew they wanted to teach"; in fact, I never thought that I would enjoy teaching since I saw myself as far too shy to stand in front of an "audience" every day. Throughout high school and college, I was terrified of public speaking, but when I was in graduate school, I tentatively applied for the Teaching Associate position. After I interviewed and was hired, I was frantic. But, after I began teaching and became more comfortable in front of the classroom, I discovered that I loved what I was doing. I was excited to go to work everyday, and I realized that teaching and interacting with students gave me energy. It was unexpected, and I was surprised that I had, more or less, stumbled upon my ideal career. To put it simply, I love my job, and I hope that shows in the classroom.