My aim as a teacher is to, in collaboration with a student, develop a bridge between their individual background and evaluative perspective and the meaning of a philosophical text. This ‘bridge’ is whatever enables someone to grasp a text’s point in the context of their own understanding of the world. When the point of a text becomes clear in this way, interest becomes naturally motivated. Correspondingly, my pedagogy emphasizes listening to students, so that my contribution is responsive to the individual.
Courses I have designed focus on inclusivity and sharing philosophy’s most versatile, valuable offerings—the ability to write clearly and make persuasive logical appeals. I am fond of explicit encouragement, clear feedback on how to improve, and propounding the message that not-yet-knowing-how is always part of the process of learning. I approach teaching with the deepest respect for learners, as peers in the process of doing philosophy.
Primary InstructorI founded a permanent series of seminar courses run by the philosophy department. These class slots, whose contents vary, allow graduate students to design their own curricula and perform outreach to undergraduates in underrepresented groups who may develop an interest in philosophy. The class curricula promote diversity in three main ways: (1) By teaching from an expanded canon. (2) By employing inclusive teaching techniques and fostering an atmosphere that lowers barriers to participation and learning. (3) By expanding the philosophical focus to topics that are of particular interest to (and are inclusive of) these groups.