TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My interest in teaching theories and practices that challenge the formal expert/pupil paradigm, champion lived experiences, and critique the systems around us began during my Peace Corps service in rural Honduras. Although I already had many years of teaching experience prior to Peace Corps, I had a crisis of faith in my ability to act as a teacher in a context where I was a privileged outsider from where I was living and working. I quickly learned how important it was to integrate personal experiences, interests, and life-relevance into any teaching, using approaches such as Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle. Even more exciting to me were philosophies such as Freire’s “conscientization,” and hooks’, “engaged pedagogy.” These approaches taught me how to become a partner in learning, providing spaces for voice in what communities wanted and needed to learn. I saw that cooperative learning could transform lives. These lessons have transferred to my teaching at the university level, where I believe strongly in moving students past surface factual learning and into deep personal exploration and growth. I see teaching as an opportunity for students to think differently, be critical, and challenge their beliefs and assumptions.
I have been fortunate to teach and facilitate in many contexts ranging from children to adults, short trainings to full courses, online to face-to-face, and ranging from low-economic rural countries to wealthy industrialized countries. Every class and group of students presents a unique community of learners that vary in experiences, interests, abilities, and ways of learning and communicating. To accomplish my teaching goals, I believe that it is essential to create a safe environment for students to challenge themselves and others. In smaller enrollment and graduate courses, I begin this process by meeting individually with students at the beginning of the semester to learn their personal trajectories, goals for learning, and interest in the class. I spend significant time on activities at the beginning of the semester designed to build community within the classroom and allow students to create relationships. By prioritizing community building at the beginning of a class, students create stronger bonds, participate more fully when content is challenging, and feel a greater sense of equality in group activities and assignments.
In a typical class, I limit formal lecture to short 15-20 minute segments or will move lecture and other preparatory content to an online format so that there is ample classroom time for discussion and practice activities. I believe it is important to use a variety of methods including large group, small group, partner, and individual activities. More introverted or quiet students may need individual time or partner activities to process information and feel comfortable to participate fully. More extroverted or talkative students are more likely to flourish in large group activities. By valuing all types of learning, I have found that over time students are more willing to break out of their comfort zone and participate in ways that they previously would not.
The methods that I use in a classroom range from simple brainstorming exercises to in-depth case study evaluation and group projects. For example, in a class on gender and development theory and practice, I introduce gender by using a rapid brainstorming method. Students write attributes, stereotypes, and other perceived differences between men and women on colored cards, which they tape to the wall under “male” and “female.” They then move cards that could apply to both males and females, leaving only physical attributes on the wall. We then have a discussion on the difference between biological sex and gender norms, and the challenges posed by the gender binary. At the other end of the spectrum, a class activity to develop a masculinities-based youth violence prevention program might require an entire class block working in small groups to analyze a case study, develop a theory of change, and create a basic set of recommendations. Most importantly, in all course activities I aim for inclusiveness of all learners and student mastery of course content.
To assess student learning I use a range of methods, from low-stakes quizzes for basic concepts to a semester long project for complex concepts. In my classroom, the most important thing is that students show mastery of the course objectives. I provide students with multiple opportunities to show their learning. I also give in-depth and personalized feedback on assignments so that students can improve in areas where they may need more development. If a student does not do well at the beginning of a course or on a part of an assignment, they have opportunities to show improvement and succeed in the course.
In addition to formal classroom situations, I enjoy engaging in short-term training, informal teaching and learning, mentoring, and service learning. The principals that I apply to my classroom are also how I approach teaching and mentoring in these contexts. I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate and conduct workshops, training for non-academic audiences, and mentor students. In the long-term, I also plan to develop a service-learning platform to engage undergraduate and graduate students in opportunities to experience the realities of research and development work related to human rights, social justice, violence, and gender.
I have been fortunate to teach and facilitate in many contexts ranging from children to adults, short trainings to full courses, online to face-to-face, and ranging from low-economic rural countries to wealthy industrialized countries. Every class and group of students presents a unique community of learners that vary in experiences, interests, abilities, and ways of learning and communicating. To accomplish my teaching goals, I believe that it is essential to create a safe environment for students to challenge themselves and others. In smaller enrollment and graduate courses, I begin this process by meeting individually with students at the beginning of the semester to learn their personal trajectories, goals for learning, and interest in the class. I spend significant time on activities at the beginning of the semester designed to build community within the classroom and allow students to create relationships. By prioritizing community building at the beginning of a class, students create stronger bonds, participate more fully when content is challenging, and feel a greater sense of equality in group activities and assignments.
In a typical class, I limit formal lecture to short 15-20 minute segments or will move lecture and other preparatory content to an online format so that there is ample classroom time for discussion and practice activities. I believe it is important to use a variety of methods including large group, small group, partner, and individual activities. More introverted or quiet students may need individual time or partner activities to process information and feel comfortable to participate fully. More extroverted or talkative students are more likely to flourish in large group activities. By valuing all types of learning, I have found that over time students are more willing to break out of their comfort zone and participate in ways that they previously would not.
The methods that I use in a classroom range from simple brainstorming exercises to in-depth case study evaluation and group projects. For example, in a class on gender and development theory and practice, I introduce gender by using a rapid brainstorming method. Students write attributes, stereotypes, and other perceived differences between men and women on colored cards, which they tape to the wall under “male” and “female.” They then move cards that could apply to both males and females, leaving only physical attributes on the wall. We then have a discussion on the difference between biological sex and gender norms, and the challenges posed by the gender binary. At the other end of the spectrum, a class activity to develop a masculinities-based youth violence prevention program might require an entire class block working in small groups to analyze a case study, develop a theory of change, and create a basic set of recommendations. Most importantly, in all course activities I aim for inclusiveness of all learners and student mastery of course content.
To assess student learning I use a range of methods, from low-stakes quizzes for basic concepts to a semester long project for complex concepts. In my classroom, the most important thing is that students show mastery of the course objectives. I provide students with multiple opportunities to show their learning. I also give in-depth and personalized feedback on assignments so that students can improve in areas where they may need more development. If a student does not do well at the beginning of a course or on a part of an assignment, they have opportunities to show improvement and succeed in the course.
In addition to formal classroom situations, I enjoy engaging in short-term training, informal teaching and learning, mentoring, and service learning. The principals that I apply to my classroom are also how I approach teaching and mentoring in these contexts. I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate and conduct workshops, training for non-academic audiences, and mentor students. In the long-term, I also plan to develop a service-learning platform to engage undergraduate and graduate students in opportunities to experience the realities of research and development work related to human rights, social justice, violence, and gender.
