Teaching
My Core Values
Kindness
Kindness means treating others with empathy, compassion, and understanding. We are all human, and doing the best we can.
Respect
Respect requires us to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of all individuals, and to cultivate a culture of inclusivity and equity.
Humility
I strive to practice humility by acknowledging my limitations, valuing the contributions of others, and committing to continuous learning and growth. I hope we can all do the same.
Curiosity
Curiosity drives us to explore new ideas, challenge assumptions, and embrace diverse perspectives.
Hope
Hope drives our class philosophy as it empowers all of us to believe in our potential, embrace challenges, and envision a future where our efforts can lead to positive change: both for ourselves and for the broader world.
Graduate Courses taught at the University of Pennsylvania
At present, my teaching is affiliated with specific institutions, so accessing these courses requires admission to those programs! Still, the courses listed here offer a sense of the subjects I teach and my approach to learning.
Qualitative Methods
Discover the art and science of qualitative inquiry, exploring research design, ethnography, data collection, interpretation, reflexivity, and the craft of representing human experience.
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Merit & America
Interrogate meritocracy’s promises and contradictions, exploring how education defines merit, reproduces inequality, and shapes competing ideas of fairness, achievement, intelligence, and opportunity.
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Anthropology & Education
Explore how culture, power, and identity shape education worldwide through ethnography, anthropological theory, and critical inquiry into learning, schooling, and more equitable futures.
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Master's Seminar in ECS
Build intellectual expertise through critical reading, rigorous analysis, and original synthesis, developing a master’s capstone that contributes meaningfully to scholarly conversations in education.
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Teaching is baked into my being. My philosophy of teaching and learning has emerged from years of careful reflection and real experiences with some amazing students.
In many of my courses we tackle hard questions. Hard things are worthwhile. We talk about race, class, gender, culture, social structure, free will, structural inequality and how they relate to our personal and professional lives. All of us read others’ work against the background of our already established identities, experiences, values and cultural orientations. We also talk about the real and practical challenges facing educators and professionals today.
What I ask in my courses is that we put aside, at least temporarily, what we think is obvious. I ask us to be vulnerable and participate in a meaningful dialogue – something we need a great deal more of in the world.
In many sensitive, contentious areas we tend to feel an imperative to hold onto our established views. It takes a lot of work (usually reading, thought and talk in a traditional classroom) to deepen perspectives. That inevitably means we don’t always have time to thoroughly digest all the readings or to fully discuss every topic. I encourage my students to read with, to listen to, to hear, to be patient with, to consider views of, to share with, and to respect one another. I endeavor to do the same.
Teaching Philosophy
