Teaching

“Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better,”

― Carter G. Woodson

Teaching Philosophy.

I firmly believe that a student-centered education that meaningfully prioritizes students’ success is central to unlocking the joys of learning. For me this looks like a passion-driven, care-centric, excellence-motivated labor of love poured into the choices I make as a teacher. Practices informed by evidence––and evidence informed by practice—paired with students’ voices and experiences are the toolsets through which I carry out this philosophy. I also believe that the study of history is ripe with opportunities to equip students with the skillsets to critically engage with the information they encounter on daily on echoes of the past in the present. In my classes, the layered and illuminating stories studying history yields, seek to inspire curiosity for history and thoughtful care for our responsibility to the legacy we inherit. As we uncover the stories of overlooked historical actors, and engage with complex stories and tensions of our past, it is my goal that they leave my class with a “trained” eye and heart in understanding their responsibilities as historical actors in the making. Stories recovered from archives have the power to teleport their listeners across time and space—to a witnessing—that stirs, influences, and teaches us in enriching ways.

During my time in the classroom, the support I have found that Compassionate-Teaching and Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed practices provide all learners (especially minoritized, neurodivergent, differently-abled, and/or first-generation students) are reminders of the importance of teaching marked by of a passion-driven labor of love rooted in care.

Teaching Certification

Certificate in College Teaching, The Graduate School, Michigan State University 

Teaching Development Fellowship: 

“Future Academic Scholars in Teaching Fellowship” (FAST)

Related Service:

• The Leadership Team at the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL)
•  Advisory Board and Program Support, “Graduate Educator Advancement and Teaching” (GREAT) Office. 

Awards:

My teaching pedagogy and practices have been recognized by the Office of the Provost, the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation, the Department of History, and more

Teaching Portfolio & Statement Available Upon Request.