PhD Candidate, Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago
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 combat injustice, and how they can live according to philosophical virtues. My teaching philosophy is informed by my training in the social justice focused traditions of Ignatian pedagogy, critical pedagogy, and transformative learning. 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, creative projects, and more. Beyond developing the skills consistent with the discipline of philosophy, I intend to have my students leave my classes having deepened or developed new value commitments, new "philosophical roots," and with an intention to engage in positive social change.
Course Syllabi
In the past, I have taught courses in Social and Political Philosophy. However, I have also included in my list of course syllabi a number of sample courses that are related to my research interests. I look forward to continue to develop these courses as my research interests continue to grow.
Pedagogical Certification
As part of my pedagogical studies, I have completed certification in Ignatian pedagogy and experiential learning through the Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy (FCIP) and The Center for Engaged Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (CELTS) at Loyola University Chicago.
Certification in Anti-Racist Pedagogy, Loyola University Chicago
Certification in Experiential Learning, Loyola University Chicago
Certification in Ignatian Pedagogy, Loyola University Chicago
ongoing
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