I enjoy teaching and having the opportunity to interact with students. Building on my undergraduate background in teacher preparation, I further developed my teaching style when I worked at the USC Marshall School of Business Experiential Learning Center. While there, I facilitated an array of scenarios that give students experience with participatory learning on topics such as cross-cultural communication, inter-group relations, and small group dynamics. I incorporate such experiential learning methods into the majority of my courses.
Through my experiences in the classroom, I have developed an approach to teaching that focuses on encouraging student involvement. Regardless of class size, I pride myself on quickly learning the names of everyone present, and I plan my class sessions to provide opportunities for my students to get to know each other as well. When I teach, I hope to help students to incorporate their learning into their lives. In addition to the content specific to a particular course, my goal is to incorporate analytic skills, writing tips, and an open discussion of ethical principles into all subjects that I teach. I believe that I can learn a great deal from my students and do not expect students to accept what I say without question. Instead, I try to model critical thinking for my students by incorporating examples from a variety of diverse perspectives and questioning my own assumptions as I teach. When students ask questions, I regularly turn the questions back to them and encourage them to think through possible responses. I want students to develop both the interest and abilities necessary to reflect on and engage with social issues. I consistently challenge students to do their best in my classes and to expand their horizons outside of school.
Portland State University
University of Southern California