Teaching Philosophy

I find teaching to be one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of my academic career. As I have grown as an instructor, I have established three main learning goals for my students: embrace an openness to new ideas, foster their ability to use their sociological imaginations by learning to see the whole as well as the parts, and develop an informed appreciation of other cultures and contemporary social issues. 

I want to challenge my students’ preconceptions and assumptions about their world in a way that is sensitive to and acknowledges the limited perspective they may be coming to me with. I have high expectations for their ability to rise to the challenge of broadening their horizons and making the familiar strange. This involves consistently organizing the content of my classes so that it is personally meaningful and relevant to my students. Many students have noted that one of the reasons they look forward to my class is that they know I will use relevant, interesting examples and activities. 

Sociology challenges many of the ideas that my students strongly believe. In order to be an effective educator, I must frame the examples I use with the students in mind so that they are willing to listen and learn rather than shut down. Given that my students tell me that they were thinking of the concepts discussed in the classroom later that day while talking with their friends or when watching something on TV, I feel I succeed in my efforts.