My Teaching Philosophy
“Classrooms are, potentially, places of change. What, specifically, these changes entail is context-specific and open to negotiation. However, no matter what forms these changes might take, they are not automatic; to enact transformation, we need theories that deliberately and self-reflexively move into and out of our classrooms.” – Keating, Teaching Transformation
My teaching philosophy is strongly characterized by the tenets of critical thinking and premised on the principle that learning can be both liberatory and transformational. I believe learning can occur when human beings are encouraged to collectively reflect – deeply, creatively, and critically – on issues we face as global citizens; within my classroom I strive to make this possible. Of utmost importance is establishing a collegiate classroom community where students are encouraged to play with theoretical concepts by applying them to current texts, political situations, and their experiences of everyday life. I believe this academic sense of play blurs the boundaries between theory and society in a manner that inspires a curiosity about and passion for understanding the vast and intricate ways communication impacts our personal, professional, and public lives.
As an undergraduate, I was taught to engage in course readings as a dialogue; a reciprocal conversation between me and the author in which understanding, not opposition, was the driving force. The classroom, then, was the place where my classmates and I would critically discuss the readings and the questions, thoughts, and concerns it raised for us. I have adopted a similar pedagogical style in my approach to teaching by framing critical inquiry on the premise that understanding (not blind acceptance), is the foundation of learning and critique as a means to expansive thought. First, texts need to be intellectually digested, not quickly consumed, to appreciate the nuance of an idea and critically inquire about the socio-cultural and political implications this idea could have when we apply it to other aspects of our collective lives. During this application, I ask students to pay attention to questions of power so that they may begin to consider ways in which the skills and knowledge developed in my class (and other classes) may be used to affect change in and beyond the communities that they inhabit. This two-fold process – understanding then critique – establishes a basis of learning grounded in collaboration, deliberation, and political possibility.
While critical inquiry is of keen importance in the classroom, I also believe that education is most effective when it is driven by an instructor’s own passion for teaching and learning as well as an intense curiosity about communication. As an educator, my love of learning is translated into a desire for my students to experience the joy, frustration and sheer exhilaration of realizing something new; something that has never occurred to them before in exactly that same manner. I strive to see that spark in my students, that glimmer in their eyes as they stumble over words in an attempt to excitedly get their idea out. I love those moments. It is in these moments of recognition that, I believe, learning ceases to be a solely academic endeavor and has the capacity to allow student to consider new political, social, and cultural possibilities in thought and action. It is this same passion that has led me to set high standards for student assignments which I reinforce through detailed feedback on their work. The combination of modeling behavior, setting high standards, and offering pointed feedback demonstrates and reinforces that success in my courses requires both commitment and discipline.
My ultimate goal is not to teach students what to think about the communicative phenomenon we study together. Rather, I work to give students the tools and skills to think – to question, to interrogate, to create, and hopefully, to imagine a more socially just world they believe is worth working towards. I make every effort to better-equip students to ask the difficult questions they will face throughout the course of their lives. When learning is oriented towards asking questions to gain a deeper understanding and inquire about the social, cultural, and political implications of a text, issue, or act, students can cultivate a type of civic mentality. In this way, learning is a liberatory and transformational experience; it can free students to explore issues they are curious about, develop their own diverse voices in relation to what they have learned, and shape their critical perspectives on the social or political issues that play a significant role in their lives.
As an undergraduate, I was taught to engage in course readings as a dialogue; a reciprocal conversation between me and the author in which understanding, not opposition, was the driving force. The classroom, then, was the place where my classmates and I would critically discuss the readings and the questions, thoughts, and concerns it raised for us. I have adopted a similar pedagogical style in my approach to teaching by framing critical inquiry on the premise that understanding (not blind acceptance), is the foundation of learning and critique as a means to expansive thought. First, texts need to be intellectually digested, not quickly consumed, to appreciate the nuance of an idea and critically inquire about the socio-cultural and political implications this idea could have when we apply it to other aspects of our collective lives. During this application, I ask students to pay attention to questions of power so that they may begin to consider ways in which the skills and knowledge developed in my class (and other classes) may be used to affect change in and beyond the communities that they inhabit. This two-fold process – understanding then critique – establishes a basis of learning grounded in collaboration, deliberation, and political possibility.
While critical inquiry is of keen importance in the classroom, I also believe that education is most effective when it is driven by an instructor’s own passion for teaching and learning as well as an intense curiosity about communication. As an educator, my love of learning is translated into a desire for my students to experience the joy, frustration and sheer exhilaration of realizing something new; something that has never occurred to them before in exactly that same manner. I strive to see that spark in my students, that glimmer in their eyes as they stumble over words in an attempt to excitedly get their idea out. I love those moments. It is in these moments of recognition that, I believe, learning ceases to be a solely academic endeavor and has the capacity to allow student to consider new political, social, and cultural possibilities in thought and action. It is this same passion that has led me to set high standards for student assignments which I reinforce through detailed feedback on their work. The combination of modeling behavior, setting high standards, and offering pointed feedback demonstrates and reinforces that success in my courses requires both commitment and discipline.
My ultimate goal is not to teach students what to think about the communicative phenomenon we study together. Rather, I work to give students the tools and skills to think – to question, to interrogate, to create, and hopefully, to imagine a more socially just world they believe is worth working towards. I make every effort to better-equip students to ask the difficult questions they will face throughout the course of their lives. When learning is oriented towards asking questions to gain a deeper understanding and inquire about the social, cultural, and political implications of a text, issue, or act, students can cultivate a type of civic mentality. In this way, learning is a liberatory and transformational experience; it can free students to explore issues they are curious about, develop their own diverse voices in relation to what they have learned, and shape their critical perspectives on the social or political issues that play a significant role in their lives.