Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is faithful to bell hooks’ conviction that “the classroom remains the most radical space of possibility in the academy.”  I believe that the sociological imagination is a powerful political tool that, when cultivated, enables students to participate in the social world with integrity and conviction. Fostering this tool requires immense trust in one’s students and careful attention to classroom structure.  I believe, first and foremost, in centering the whole personhood of my students by allowing their diverse experiences and diverse learning styles to be an asset to the classroom community. 

Structured debate and critical discussion are a central component of my courses. I believe these formats enable students to enter into political debate and ethical discourse with confidence and clarity outside the classroom. In these contexts my students are expected to revisit their own beliefs and confront the highest forms of the arguments they oppose. As such, they will often be challenged to assume opinions and perspectives that are not their own. Similarly, my students are required to engage course readings critically, but they are expected to ground their criticism in a nuanced comprehension of the author’s intent.

I believe that it is my responsibility to provide my students with rich interpretive and methodological toolboxes for examining the social world. I work to frame the political history and theoretical context of the topics covered and to challenge my students while contextualizing their encounters with unfamiliar material. Finally, I believe that the classroom is a living, breathing environment that requires ongoing reflection and adaptation. I incorporate self-reflections, mid-semester course evaluations, and ongoing reflective checkins in order to maintain a classroom where students feel accountable to one another, where each student has a stake in the learning outcomes of their peers.