Teaching Philosophy
My background is in creative writing and rhetoric, and these parts of my identity intersect in both my scholarship and teaching through embracing an 
arts-based pedagogy and intersecting art and writing. I encourage my students to be curious, exercise creativity, and use arts-based approaches in the classroom (for example, through collaging or writing poetry) to foster an environment of investigation and innovation.
Identity is complex, and each student comes into my class with their own knowledges, perspectives, and experiences. Because of the complexity of identity, composers, compositions, and audiences are also complex, and this emphasizes the need for approaches to composition that move beyond the traditional alphabetic format. I advocate for a “queered” pedagogical approach that creates space for new ways of thinking and communicating, breaks down over-simplified dichotomies and outdated traditions, and decentralizes the classroom. One way I challenge students to think outside of traditional composing forms is by giving them opportunities to compose using multiple modalities and tools. Sometimes these tools are digital (like with audio, video, or online tools/programs) and sometimes they are non-digital (like with collaging, drawing, or painting).
I also take a feminist approach to teaching where I strive to break down the teacher-student hierarchy and invest in each of my students as people, learners, teachers, and scholars. I desire to engage in mutual learning and meaning-making with my students, and this often comes through facilitating an active learning space where students collaborate with each other and myself. Through this teacher-learner approach, I am always gaining new knowledge and reflecting on my practices as an instructor. As a result, I consistently return to my teaching philosophy to reexamine and reimagine it.
Sample Course Designs/Syllabi
ENG 2070 Intermediate Writing: Understanding Identity and Queer Theory in Academic Communities (Bowling Green State University)
- Catalog description for the course: “Work on developing mastery of the rhetorical principles of planning, executing, and revising prose. Emphasis on strengthening analytical writing, both expository and argumentative; valuable for writing on the job.”
- ENG 2070 is a gateway course to the writing minor at Bowling Green State University, and I designed my own in-person version of the course with a queer theory theme (my experiences teaching this course also spoke into my dissertation research).
- Syllabus and course schedule
ENG 1270 English Composition II (Indiana Tech)
- Catalog description for the course: “This course is an introduction to the writing of researched essays for a variety of aims and audiences. Students analyze rhetorical style, structure and argumentation, with an emphasis on building critical thinking skills.”
- I designed this online course for the Indiana Tech Early Start program, which is geared toward high school students taking college courses.
- Syllabus and course schedule
A full list of courses I’ve taught can be found in my CV.
