Rachel N. Spear, Ph. D.
conferences & presentations
Spear is active professionally contributing to the fields of composition, autobiographical, and pedagogical studies at various conventions. Furthermore, she plays an active role in the Northeast Modern Language Association, serving as a Convention Associate and as the current Women's and Gender Studies Caucus past-president. She also created and cooridnated the USM's English Department's Pedgogy Forum, a series of presentations by faculty and graduate students dedicated to enhancing writing instruction and professional development.
National & Regional
"Gubar's Debulked Self: Telling the Truth about Illness and Gendered Bodies." American Comparative Literature Association (ACLA), March 2015. Forthcoming.
"'Can't We JUST Write!?': The Risks and Rewards of Using Mindfulness and Expressive Writing in Revision Workshops." Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC), March 2015. Forthcoming.
"Changing Rape Culture through Curriculum and Collaboration." Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA), April 2014.
"Publicizing the Personal in Composition Courses." CCCC, March 2013.
"Coming Together: The English in Action Showcase as a Way to Link Composition, Service-Learning, and Global Citizenship." North Carolina Symposium on Teaching Writing, Feb. 2013.
“Saving Self and Others in Telling: Stories, Survivor Rhetoric, and Social Change.” NeMLA, March 2012.
“More than Words: Writing the Wound.” NeMLA, Feb.-March 2009.
“Hearing Voices: A Seed for Change, A Seed for a Better Self.” American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies (AAACS), March 2008.
“‘Wherever You Are Is My Home’: Homeplace and Self-Development in Jane Eyre.” NeMLA, March 2007.
“Looking at the Self: Authorizing Aurora Leigh.” NeMLA, March 2006.
“(Re)Inventing Identities: Constructing the Selves of the Romantic ‘Poetess.’” International Conference on Romanticism, October 2005.
Local Presentations & Invitations
"Creating Effective Writing Assignments." USM, Oct. 2012.
"Personal Statements: General Tips and Guidelines." USM, Oct. 2012.
“A Thousand Places to Learn besides Your Classroom: Place as Text." Center for Teaching Excellence, UNCW, April 2012.
“Learning Global Citizenship with Service.” Teaching Showcase, UNCW, Dec. 2011.
“Trauma & Writing in A Long Way Gone: An Exploration of the Genre.” ENG 290, UNCW, Sept. 2010, Oct. 2011.
"Feminine Creativity: Moving Beyond Wounds and Words." Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers, Local Meeting, LSU, March 2010.
“Writing Strategies and Introduction to CxC and Resources.” HNRS 2000, LSU, CxC, Oct. 2008.
“Pedagogical Strategies for Leading a Class and Effective Oral Communication” INTL 4003, LSU, CxC, Feb. 2008.
“Writing (in) Her Place: A Look at Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions.” LSU EGSA Mardi Gras Conference, Feb. 2007.
“A Woman’s Creative Process: Breaking DuPlessis’s Dualities.” Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) Conference, LSU, March 2006.
“Accepting the (Un)known: First-year Writing as the In-Between.” WGS Conference, LSU, March, 2005.
Panels Organized & Chaired
NeMLA WGS Caucus's Special Speaker's Ann Jueic's "Susan Sontag's Trouble with Memoir" talk. NeMLA, April 2014.
"Gender and Genre: Exploring Intersections in Women's Life-Writing."
NeMLA, March 2013. Two Panels.
“Literature, Trauma, and Healing: Refusing to Silence the Discourse.” NeMLA, March 2012. Session I and Session II.
"(Re)Writing Anais and Her Diaries." NeMLA, April 2010.
"Crazy Women: Healing Post-Trauma." NeMLA, Feb.-March 2009.
“Negotiating Homeplace in Nineteenth-Century” and “(Re)locating Home in Nineteenth-Century Literature.” NeMLA, March 2007.
“Women’s Autobiography II.” NeMLA, March 2006.