“Beyond the realm of critical thought, it is equally crucial that we learn to enter the classroom ‘whole’ and not as ‘disembodied spirit’” (hooks, 1994, p. 193).
As an educator, I believe that every individual has a story filled with formative life experiences and perspectives to tell within the classroom. The quote above from bell hooks, a Black feminist scholar who has largely shaped the ways that I approach my pedagogy, speaks to this concept. My teaching philosophy stems from the central tenet that learning is an ever-evolving process produced in environments where individuals feel supported, celebrated, and challenged to engage in socially just practices. It is my hope that students feel encouraged to not only share their narratives, but to listen and learn from others in order to become effective cultural change agents. Ultimately, core to my identity as a scholar is the creed that students are more than learners; they are holistic individuals who learn, feel, and grow. In my classes, I mobilize critical theory to approach the study of higher education.
Past Classes I Have Taught in Higher Education:
Advanced Student Student Theory
Internship (taught and helped coordinate)
Intersectionality in Higher Education
Leadership in Higher Education
Overview of Postsecondary Education
Student Development Theory
Example Class Syllabus: Intersectionality in Higher Education
“This course enters into the intersectionality wars as we will explore what this framework means in postsecondary policy, practice, and research. As a class, we will engage texts from outside of the field of higher education in order to acquire a sense of the intersectional landscape. We will investigate intersectionality’s genealogy, recognizing the histories of intersectional-like thought as it relates to the activism of Black women and Women of Color. We will also tackle how individuals have stretched the use, meaning, and analytical power of intersectionality. Finally, we will question what this larger context means for the study of higher education and student affairs. Namely, we will conceptualize how policymakers, practitioners, and researchers can apply intersectionality in order to achieve the aims of social change and justice.”