Sam Morris, PhD

My name is Sam Morris, and I am an Assistant Professor of English at USCB. I am also the Program Coordinator for the B.A. in English, with Secondary ELA Licensure.

As someone who has been entrusted with helping to guide our majors to successful careers as high school English teachers, I believe in balancing the study of the fundamentals of teaching such as lesson planning and instruction with an examination of existing structures of testing, curricula, censorship, and canonization.This work is exciting, and we continually strive to ensure that our shared pedagogical goals are accomplished in ways that are accessible, equitable, and antiracist.

I believe that, while all teachers are literacy teachers, one of the most important things that an ELA teacher does is help students become versatile writers and lifelong readers. In my work with pre-service teachers, we continually strive to ensure that our shared pedagogical goals are accomplished in ways that are accessible, equitable, and antiracist.  

My early career goal of being a “Long 19th Century” British literature specialist shifted after spending several years as a high school English teacher. I became fascinated with the pedagogical possibilities of literature written for adolescents, a fascination that I have brought to classes such as Adolescent Literature and Development, Content Literacy for Secondary Teachers, and Secondary ELA Methods.