My teaching philosophy, or pedagogy, is grounded in the idea of learning as an embodied process. Educational spaces are intercorporeal places; they are shaped as a whole by the individuals who make it up. This included me long before I was aware; classrooms are largely shaped by the students themselves. ‘The classroom’ itself extends beyond any institution of learning. Any space can be transformed into a space of learning with the right intentionality. Every space of learning is as unique as the students who help create it.
The educator has the authority of a facilitator in this shaping process. Each person has their individual style of acquiring and expressing knowledge— but there are ways that we all come together in one sitting for the purpose of learning and growing together. These two processes, in fact, play a supporting role to one another. At the end of the day, we need others if we want to learn about the world we share with them. A supportive, communicative learning community is essential if we want to ensure that every student has the chance to grow.
People grow as students when they are challenged to think critically, and to think for themselves. It is important for me to utilize the value of questioning in the classroom. Asking students questions invites them to be active meaning makers rather than passive meaning receivers. It is important that students feel comfortable asking more questions and offering more of their thoughts and insights as parts of the learning process; I want to invoke passion in students for their own growth as thinkers in the world.
I teach: Creative writing, English Language Arts, Grammar, Essay Writing/Revision, topics in Philosophy, Social Studies, History, and Art.