Like most first-generation college students, I felt overwhelmed when I began my undergraduate degree. I dropped my fair share of courses because I was not confident that I could succeed as soon as I saw the syllabus. Those experiences shaped my approach to teaching. I do not want students to feel intimidated, so my first priority is to establish an environment that welcomes every student. I employ interpersonal communication techniques throughout the semester to cultivate meaningful connections with students that hopefully allay any anxiety. In addition, I actively solicit early rough drafts of assignments to offer feedback. This is something that I appreciated as a nervous undergraduate. Once the anxiety is dispelled, students tend to take more ownership over the class, which translates into better classroom discussions and more polished submissions.

 

As a philosophy instructor, I am dedicated to the development of students’ communication, critical thinking, and research skills. I typically design scaffolded assignments in the spirit of Bloom’s Taxonomy that start with simple, detail-oriented essays and end with more creative projects. I hope to show how philosophy is a worthwhile endeavor that complements many other areas of scholarship. The goal, of course, is for students to leave feeling encouraged to pursue more courses in philosophy regardless of their major.

 

I also like to work with students outside of the classroom setting. At the University of Kentucky, I helped organize an undergraduate reading group on Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass as part of the Environmental Humanities Initiative. At the University of Kentucky and the University of Utah I have served as an Ethics Bowl coach.