When I introduced myself to you, I talked about the fact that one of the primarily ways I identify myself in professional contexts is as a teacher. I work at one of the rare public liberal arts colleges (the University of Mary Washington, in Virginia), and this is the type of job I always wanted to have. Once I understood the array of job options I could pursue with a doctorate in psychology, I knew I wanted to work with undergraduate students. I love helping them explore the field and find their unique paths to the next stage of their lives.
I’m a social psychologist, but I am a true generalist, and this is reflected in both my training and my teaching. As you might expect given this website, I regularly teach Psychology of Women and Gender, and given my degree, you likely won’t be surprised to learn I regularly teach Social Psychology. I also teach many other classes, however: General Psychology, Research Methods, Cultural Psychology, Health Psychology, Social Influence, Research Seminar in Social Psychology, undergraduate internship supervision, and a first-year seminar called Feminism in the 21st Century.
I don’t just teach a wide-array of courses; I’m also somewhat eclectic in my teaching style. If I had to sum up my style in a few words, it would be Challenging, Structured, and Skill-Focused. I approach this differently depending on the course, the number of students (generally 15-25), etc.
I teach many writing intensive and speaking intensive courses. I also teach many courses with an honors designation, which means they involve more self-directed learning than may be found in other courses/sections. I’ve often used journaling and other reflective writing to help students explore the own thoughts and experiences. I’ve sometimes used community engaged learning, such as through the inclusion of service learning. I’m also open to including digital tools such as blogs and building assignments around video talks and infographics.
You’ll get to know me and my teaching better as I post more, and you can also check out my post on the “This is How I Teach” Blog. I hope you’ll find some ideas that help you in your own teaching, and I welcome you sharing your own ideas through the comment feature on our posts. Learning isn’t a 1-direction experience after all!