
Jon Ostenson
Associate Professor, English
4110C JFSB
801-422-6286
Research Areas:
Composition, English teaching, Literacy development, Young adult
I enjoy helping students unlock their potential, either as writers or as English teachers. As a teacher, I focus on meaningful learning objectives and make plans to help my students meet those through engaging, relevant learning activities. I believe that no student is a blank slate, and hope to rely on previous experiences and learning as we work together to meet those objectives. My research focuses on how we teaching writing both in secondary English classrooms and university settings. While I’m interested in broad pedagogical concerns, I focus much of my research on two specific aspects: teaching students to conduct research and write from sources, and helping students develop power and capacity with grammar and style. I also conduct research in young adult literature, both as a literary genre and as a tool for teaching. I truly value contributing to the English department and the University community. My work in University Writing has helped me see the importance of the broad, liberal arts education we ask students to engage in while at BYU. I appreciate providing service to General Education and the writing programs here at BYU because they are such a fundamental part of students’ experiences here at BYU.Teaching Experience
Research
Selected Publications
Service
Citizenship assignments
Committee