Teaching Philosophy
As a teaching associate and adjunct instructor at multiple universities, I teach diverse populations of students of various ages, backgrounds, and literacies in classrooms without computers, computer-mediated classrooms, and online-only environments. No matter the environment, however, support, empathy, and an ethics of care are the forces driving my pedagogy. In my courses, students consider themselves readers, writers, and critical thinkers and see the contributions they make to our classroom community as valued and significant. To grow this community, I encourage students to have a voice in classroom discussions, as well as in shaping course policies—like our peer review guidelines and etiquette for discussions. I ask students for informal, anonymous feedback throughout the semester so I can adapt my pedagogy to their needs and the context of our community.
I prompt students to say more and write more about the rich ideas, experiences, and literacies they bring with them to this community. These experiences are especially important in first‑year writing and English language learning courses, where students share their experiences, perceptions, and challenges with writing and literacy through in class discussions and reflective writing. These conversations allow us to build a community of trust throughout the semester, synthesizing our personal experiences and knowledge with secondary sources through investigation, inquiry, and research. When students investigate and write about topics that impact their lives from the position of expert, they gain a sense of belonging in the university community as well.
