My Teaching Philosophy

 

 

 

I believe that the purpose of education is freedom. Learning should be about liberation. In my classes, I encourage my students to develop their voices and ideas while stressing the importance of academic discourse. Regardless of the subject matter, I support my students’ development as thinkers and writers. I focus on critical reading and writing skills so that they will be better able to engage fully in their coursework and because I believe it will enable them to better participate in the civic and civil debates that they will encounter outside of college. I want my students to leave my classroom with an enhanced understanding to see themselves as thinkers and writers whose voices and opinions matter. 

In assessing students, I try to de-emphasize grades. I use a contract grading model based so that students are assessed less by the end product, but by demonstrating their learning. I find that for many students this puts the emphasis less on grades-as-reward, and more on learning for learning’s sake. Over the past few years, I have made efforts to move over all my classes to this grading practice and I am happy with the results, finding that it lessens student anxiety and adds to a more communal atmosphere in the class.