What is your teaching philosophy?

My main goals as a teacher are to have a curriculum that is shaped by my students and to have primarily student-led discussions in my classroom. I want the emphasis to be on student inquiry - relating what students are learning in class to their actual lived experiences. It is one of my goals as a teacher for students to think about and question what they are seeing, reading, and listening to in the media and in class independently, at home, in the community, and with one another. Unlike my high school experience, I do not want my students to go through school thinking that memorizing or learning information solely for an in-class test should or is the end goal. I want students to be part of creating a classroom environment where they are asking themselves, "How does the work that I am doing in class relate to the world I live in today? What value does the information I am thinking about and learning have outside of school? How can I apply my academic knowledge in a real-world setting? What else am I still curious about, and how can I go about finding more information about this topic?" I want my students to be prepared for life outside of high school, whether that be in a professional setting, at home, and/or in college.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

Building a strong rapport with students is an essential component of the first session with a student. While I want to get to know who the student is academically, it is equally, if not more important, to learn about their interests, background, and hobbies. I also believe it is important to set goals for the first session so we know where we are aiming to go.