Teaching Philosophy

I believe that teaching is not a neutral act. The learning environment is a dynamic space into which teachers and learners bring their whole selves, exploring their ideas and beliefs about how knowledge is produced, validated, and used within a variety of sometimes disparate contexts. I am committed to engaging in an intentional reflective practice, to continually learning and growing as a teacher and facilitator, and to embracing discomfort in order to challenge the often invisible biases I carry into my work.

I endeavor to meet learners where they are, validating and integrating the life experiences they bring with them into the learning space. When designing instruction and training, I include opportunities to explore the affective as well as the cognitive aspects of learning, focusing on transferable skills and habits of mind. Moreover, I navigate learners through a metacognitive reflective process, analyzing the whys behind their choices in order to foster their continued growth over time.

I take risks, creating dialogic spaces where learners guide and problematize the learning process, embracing the complexity inherent in discovery and growth, allowing their questions to develop and shift as needed, and approaching research as a creative practice. I seek to cultivate a collective, community atmosphere: in the space of a class or a workshop, we are here to learn together and are accountable to one another. Exploring how knowledge can be ethically created and shared is key to reimagining the world, and thus I approach education as a means to pursue self and community empowerment and social justice. I enable learners to find their voice and take their place in larger scholarly, professional, or community conversations as producers of knowledge in their own right.

For specific examples of this philosophy in action, please see my instructional design portfolio.