Ph.D., Philosophy
Teaching
“The teacher is of course an artist, but being an artist does not mean that he or she can make the profile, can shape the students. What the educator does in teaching is to make it possible for the students to become themselves.” - Paulo Freire, We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change
In teaching philosophy, it is my goal to guide students towards understanding their own values, what their place is in the world, what duties they have towards others and their communities, how to contend with injustice, and how they can live a life of meaning according to philosophical virtues. My teaching philosophy is informed by my training in Ignatian pedagogy, critical pedagogy, and experiential and transformative learning. Furthermore, my teaching is guided by thinking about philosophy as a way of life, where students are asked to take seriously the idea that (a) we learn best by doing and (b) philosophy ought to be viewed as the art of living. This also means I accompany my students in the learning process by being a facilitator of active learning in the classroom rather than through traditional lecture-based models of education. My students learn through cooperative, problem-based learning scenarios, consistent reflection on personal values, debates and discussions, living philosophy projects, creative projects, and more. Beyond developing the skills consistent with the discipline of philosophy, I intend to have my students leave my classes having developed or deepened their value commitments, nurtured a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and cultivated a philosophical community.
Course Syllabi
In the past, I have taught courses such as Social and Political Philosophy and Moral and Social Problems. However, I have also included in my list of course syllabi a number of sample courses that are related to my philosophical interests. I look forward to continue to develop these courses as my research interests continue to grow.
Teaching Awards & Honors
I was awarded the 2021-22 Teaching Scholar Fellowship at Loyola University Chicago for excellence in teaching. During this time, I served as a mentor for graduate student instructors of record and as a co-facilitator, organizer, and instructor for a year long, university-wide teaching effectiveness seminar for graduate student instructors. I worked with mentees on a number of pedagogical practices including Ignatian pedagogy, inclusive pedagogy, effective course design, and universal design for learning (UDL).
Pedagogical Certification
As part of my pedagogical studies, I have completed certifications in anti-racist pedagogy, experiential learning, and Ignatian pedagogy through the Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy (FCIP) and The Center for Engaged Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (CELTS) at Loyola University Chicago.
Fall 2021-Spring 2022
Summer 2021
Fall 2020-Spring 2021
“To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul. It is one of the hardest to define. A human being has roots by virtue of [their] real, active and natural participation in the life of a community which preserves in living shape certain particular treasures of the past and certain particular expectations for the future. This participation is a natural one, in the sense that it is automatically brought about by place, conditions of birth, profession and social surroundings. Every human being needs to have multiple roots. It is necessary for [them] to draw wellnigh the whole of [their] moral, intellectual and spiritual life by way of the environment of which [they] form a natural part.”- Simone Weil, The Need for Roots