Teaching Statement
My commitment to addressing inequality inform my philosophy as a professor. My experiences teaching at both small colleges and large universities have given me the opportunity to work with students from myriad social backgrounds. In the classroom, I feel that an effective teacher uses materials that resonate with students while remaining critically engaged with issues of inequality. For me, these opportunities are the essence of students exercising their ‘sociological imagination’ – either by identifying a small social problem and understanding their larger societal impact, or through their personal interest in a particular research topic to understand attitudes and perceptions on that topic in society.
Not only do I try to make it interesting for students, I also want to make it interesting for myself. I feel that the strongest teachers are those who find opportunities to engage with the scholarship of teaching and learning. As with my research, my teaching is heavily informed by my commitment to highlight and address racism and inequality in our society. This shows students that their professors are individuals equally invested in social problems and global issues, who strive to address both in their own unique and personal ways.
Not only do I try to make it interesting for students, I also want to make it interesting for myself. I feel that the strongest teachers are those who find opportunities to engage with the scholarship of teaching and learning. As with my research, my teaching is heavily informed by my commitment to highlight and address racism and inequality in our society. This shows students that their professors are individuals equally invested in social problems and global issues, who strive to address both in their own unique and personal ways.
