“What do you produce as an English teacher?”

This is a post I wrote back on February 27, 2018.

A few days ago, someone asked me a question that made me stop and think. The person asked, “What do you produce as an English teacher?” The inquisitor did not posit the question in a derogatory manner; in fact, I firmly believe that the person asking the question wanted to legitimately understand what I do as an English teacher at a university. I paused for a second, trying to parse out the question. Then, I responded with a generic answer about critical thinking, knowledge, and projects such as ViralTexts.org. I was not truly satisfied with my answer, and after the exchange, I am still pondering the question, specifically the best way to answer it. Today, I want to take a moment and parse out some of the things I have thought about in regard to what I “produce.”

I think what threw me about the question at first was the word choice, specifically the word “produce.” I understand where this word is coming from because we live in a society, even in the academy, where production is what brings in the money. When I say production, I mean tangible items that can continuously funnel money into a university, company, or community. The word also stems from the ways that some scholars, students, and communities view college education. They perceive college as a vocational launch pad to a well-paying…