My academic training and professional experience allows me to teach introductory and advanced courses in American politics and public policy. In addition to my experience as a teaching assistant and course instructor, I worked for a non-profit organization that prepared first-generation students for success in college before graduate school. I am passionate about student engagement with the community and improving diversity and inclusion in higher education.
Teaching Experience
Instructor, The College of New Jersey
Undergraduate
- Introduction to American Government, Fall 2020 - Fall 2022
- American Public Policy, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
- Quantitative Research Methods, Fall 2021 - Spring 2023
Graduate (Master’s in Public Policy):
- Public Policy in Theory and Practice, Spring 2023
- Education Policy, Fall 2023
Student Instructor Evaluations, 2022 - 2023
- 4.90/5 Fall - Public Policy
- 4.70/5 Fall - Introduction to American Government (2 sections)
- 4.93/5 Spring - Research Methods
- 4.56/5 Spring - Public Policy in Theory and Practice
Instructor, Stanford University
- Digital Civil Society, Fall 2019
Certificates
- Sheridan Teaching Seminar Certificate in Reflective Teaching, Brown University 2014 - 2015
Statement of Teaching Philosophy and Effectiveness
My teaching philosophy encourages students to think critically about their roles and responsibilities as leaders and citizens. I focus on three core pedagogical objectives: establishing a strong understanding of foundational concepts, developing critical thinking skills, and participating in cooperative learning through small group discussion.
My teaching portfolio focuses on courses that are essential to the Political Science Discipline. Introduction to American Government and Quantitative Research Methods require students learn foundational concepts and skills that they will build on during their degree. I structure my lectures, discussions, and assignments to ensure students understand the important concepts and feel comfortable asking for help. While many students have exposure to the concepts in American Government in high school civic courses, Quantitative Research Methods introduces new material and also a statistical software, making it a challenging course to teach. One student in Quantitative Research Methods remarked: “The instructor was consistently prepared for class and was patient in teaching complex topics to the class while still challenging us and ensuring that we understood the content. She created a comfortable atmosphere to learn about something difficult.” My evaluations reflect this qualitative assessment of foundational skill-building: students agreed that I presented background for concepts or skills developed in the class (Fall 2021 assessments: 4.8, 4.9, 4.4).
To encourage critical thinking skills, I work with students to connect the course material to current events. For example, in American Government student groups take turns presenting a weekly “Tip Sheet” presentation, which outlines 4 or 5 top stories from the news this week and connects it to material in the course. In addition, each week I include a lecture and peer discussion that allows the students to extend their foundational knowledge to analyze contemporary American politics. In Quantitative Research Methods, I use applied examples to help students work through statistical concepts with data on policy issues (for example, polling data on Biden’s administration, state laws on drug and alcohol use, and public opinion on COVID19 mandates). In a course evaluation, a student remarked that by “connecting the course material with modern day events, the learning experience was way more engaging (….) I appreciated the incorporation of tip sheet presentations in order to ensure we, as politics students, remain well informed, I appreciated the many discussions where we tied what we were learning to what was happening in the real world, and I appreciated how you always remained neutral and never swayed either side politically.”
Finally, as a core part of my teaching practice I foster cooperative learning. I provide students opportunities to work together and engage in frequent small groups. Every class, students are challenged to work through a prompt together. I find that this helps students remain attentive and ensure that they understand the material. After months of social isolation due to COVID19, students are excited to actively engage in-person. One student remarked in course evaluations: “The emphasis on peer-to-peer discussion was a key part of the learning, in my opinion. I really benefitted from learning about gerrymandering, the gubernatorial election, and the impacts of the media on our democracy. One big takeaway I learned was how especially important it is to participate in state and local elections, which are often overlooked. ” I actively encouraged students to consider their biases and exercise respect and empathy in class. Overall, students agreed that I promoted an atmosphere that was conducive to sharing ideas and knowledge (Fall 2021 assessments: 4.85, 4.50, 4.85), and was respectful of differing viewpoints (Fall 2021 assessments: 4.91, 4.56, 4.85). In addition, I am proud to say that my student felt I challenged them to think (Fall 2021 assessments: 4.92, 4.33, 4.73).