Slow pedagogy for themed writing courses

Within academia, proponents of slow pedagogy advocate for student learning experiences that promote mindful, deliberate reflection and embodied knowledge. The complexity of real-world issues raised in the ELA program’s themed content invites an exploration of how slow pedagogy can encourage students to engage in meaningful reflection about these topics in ways that contribute to identity development. This paper explores trends in the slow movement that are salient for developing approaches to teaching themed writing courses. After a brief overview of interdisciplinary slow movement scholarship, I examine the potential value of slow pedagogy for academic writing instruction. Slow pedagogy can offer tools for instructors to rethink normative productivity enforced in fast education and to seek teaching practices that foster students’ meaningful engagement with content themes.