Dr. Hsia-Ting Chang is a new teacher in the English Department. She is currently teaching two sections of Form IV American Literature in addition to Silence and Noise and Latin American Caribbean Literature, Form V and VI elective courses. Dr. Chang chose to come to Fieldston because of her interest in Fieldston’s progressive way of teaching; specifically how Fieldston allows students in Forms V and VI the flexibility to choose their own courses based on their passions and interests. Furthermore, Dr. Chang has a background in Latin American and Caribbean literature, so she was excited to have the opportunity to continue teaching this subject to students at the high school level.
Prior to coming to Fieldston, Dr. Chang completed her Ph. D. at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in central Pennsylvania. Her Ph. D. is in 19th century American Literature, with a focus on United States Caribbean travel narratives. While she was at Penn State, she had the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses including Freshman Composition, American Literature and Women Writers.
Dr. Chang pursued her career in education because of her love of learning. She will learn about anything and everything, share everything that she learns and also learn from others. She said that not only does she enjoy teaching about what she loves, but also that, “Every year [her] students surprise [her] by finding a new angle on a text that [she’s] read 20 times, or bringing in new topics or texts that they want to read.” Dr. Chang said that she was “drawn to that push to keep learning, not just coming from [her], but coming from the students as well.”
Dr. Chang’s eagerness is noticeable from the moment her students walk into her classroom. During a lively discussion, she will pace around the room, with her fully annotated book of A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid or a Latin American short story in one hand. She is always prepared with meticulous notes, ready not only to teach the literary details of the assigned reading, but also to provide her students with the historical background behind a reference that most readers would have overlooked. For example, she explained that Jamaica Kincaid’s comment about the days before “Liberty Weekend” in A Small Place refers to the 1986 Supreme Court Decision Bowers vs. Hardick which upheld the criminalization of anal and oral sex (what were called sodomy statutes), a legal maneuver used to criminalize homosexuality.
Dr. Chang was surprised with the ease and fluidity of her transition from teaching classes at a college level to teaching at Fieldston. She observed that “Upper School students at Fieldston are very mature” and that she was “surprised by the fact that [she’s] not really teaching that differently in the day to day.” She also said that while the pace of the class is slower, she is teaching “the same kinds of texts,” and having “the same kinds of discussions.”
When asked about what book she thought every Fieldston student should read, she said that she doesn’t think “Fieldston students have to read any one particular book.” She thinks the students must read, but that they should read books on topics that interest them. Reading gives students a value that “cannot be reproduced in other ways.” She says that it “exposes you to different viewpoints” and is a way to “safely experience other people’s lives and cultures.” Students must read more, no matter what topic or genre. Dr. Chang notes that she does not have a favorite book, but that reading is “endlessly giving,” a “lifelong pursuit” that is never wasted.
The Fieldston community is so grateful to have Dr. Chang as the newest addition to the Upper School English Department!
