Teaching

As a teacher, it is always my priority to make my classroom an equitable, accessible, and enjoyable space. I favor low-pressure, discussion-based environments in which students know that answers can be "messy" and that they are in a safe space to get things wrong. I have found that this ensures more students have their "lightbulb moments," because they feel comfortable asking questions. Every classroom is different, and every student has their individual needs; it is my job as a teacher to facilitate learning while supporting these needs. 

In my teaching, I believe in student investment, clear communication, accessible resources, and teaching skills that go beyond my classroom. It is my conviction that student assessment should scaffold tangible skills with course learning goals, such as archival research, database exploration, or article reviews.

 I also prioritize primary-source-based experiential learning by giving students hands-on experience with pre-modern written culture. Primary source learning encourages students to grapple with the unconquerable absences of history; although there is much to glean from the extant record, there is much we can never know. In my classroom, I encourage students to live in balance between the known, the unknowable, and the imagined. 

Here are some of the resources I have compiled or made for students, as well as sample assignments.