My personal mission as a teacher is to cocreate an accessible learning community where all members can teach and learn from each other, reflectively explore their own beliefs and presuppositions, and challenge systems and their own perspectives. I see myself as grounded in social justice values, and I am committed to making the academic world knowable, even to those who might initially struggle with a sense of belonging.

Teachers tend to have a significant role in empowering or disempowering students; I believe that as instructors, we have considerable power to make students feel intelligent, valued, and capable, or intimidated, incompetent, and anxious. My approach to teaching seeks to empower students, acknowledge their strengths, support their growth, and engage students in the learning process.

My teaching approach is informed by my background as a student from an underrepresented and disadvantaged position, my commitment to social justice and intersectional analyses, and on my training as a dialogue facilitator. As a first-generation college graduate from a working-class community, I recognize that some students may not have the social capital and background that provides foundational knowledge about certain subjects or the college experience more generally. I come into the classroom with an awareness of this and make intentional efforts to demystify the academic institution and foundational college skills for students.

Moreover, my commitment to social justice and intersectionality has led me to approach teaching in a way that will:

1. acknowledge students’ backgrounds and experiences as assets that contribute to their unique perspectives on the world and social sciences topics;

2. co-construct a learning community with students, in which we can all teach and learn from each other;

3. create pathways for underrepresented students to feel like they belong, to feel capable, and to feel like they can be successful;

4. encourage and empower students to be active learners, giving space for their own choices about areas for further study and fostering their unique interests;

5. conceptualize social sciences as being truly about the social world, i.e., break down the ivory tower and encourage students to connect classroom learning with their communities and with real-world issues.

Providing a context of respect and allowing students to share their own original experiences and perspectives is an important starting point in a classroom context; however, it is not the end goal. I strive to approach teaching in a way that creates a place where students feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and ideas, and then builds from that foundation to challenge students’ underlying assumptions about the world by presenting alternative perspectives and engaging them in critical thinking. The goal is not to change anyone’s mind or assign values to certain perspectives. Rather, I aim to use the classroom as a space to demonstrate how to grapple with complex topics and critically evaluate information to form a more nuanced view capable of understanding other viewpoints as well.

My perspective on teaching has also been informed by training in dialogue facilitation from the Soliya Connect Program and Collaborative Communications facilitators. I strive to learn from and meaningfully engage my students in the learning process, and I favor a pedagogical approach that relies on dialogue and create environments of mutual respect. I usually begin creating a learning community by discussing ground rules with students, allowing them to help develop expectations for engagement. Throughout discussions, I encourage students to listen to understand rather than just to reply; try on other perspectives rather than only formulating arguments about why theirs is the correct or superior one; speak from their own experiences; and take responsibility for impact.

Some of my primary goals in teaching are to minimize power asymmetries and make academia and knowledge accessible, to connect course material to students’ own knowledge and experiences, and to co-construct a learning environment that acts as a safe space to express ideas and a brave space to challenge them.