Philosophy
My goal is to foster curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and confidence in my students. To ensure that every student has the opportunity to be successful in my class, I am committed to understanding how the necessary tools for success vary from student to student. I have actively worked to increase my familiarity with evidenced-based best practices for engagement, instruction, feedback, and assessment. I have completed a Graduate Teaching Certificate, worked with instructional designers while developing online courses, and regularly attend pedagogy seminars. One tractable way I have found to develop curriculums that meet such standards is by following the core tenants of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). These clearly defined metrics have been critical in creating a classroom culture that promotes success for all students.
As educators, it is crucial that we acknowledge that students, especially at the onset of their undergraduate education, come from varying degrees of academic preparedness and have not all been granted the same academic advantages. These differences in students’ academic backgrounds and preparations will only become more apparent in coming years as we work with students whose foundational education has been shaped differently by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, UDL is one tool to first acknowledge the scope of needs within a class and then make every reasonable effort to understand and respond accordingly to those needs.
Prioritizing safety in the classroom
My class is a safe space for students. I want them to feel safe to show up as their authentic selves, knowing that my class is a place where their individual identities and the intersectionality inherent in each of us is something to celebrate. One way I try to support my students is by scheduling major assessments with regards to possible conflicts, such as religious fasts and other faith-based commitments. As there are many more holidays, holy days, festivals, and ceremonies than I could prepare for as well as unplanned life events, I strive to create a classroom culture where students feel comfortable discussing classroom conflicts, such as those related to their faith and bereavement. I also provide a 72-hour no questions asked late assignment policy that students can use throughout the semester. This is one way I demonstrate to my students that I will always prioritize their mental health and the sustainable and fulfilling pursuit of understanding and knowledge over rigid performance metrics.
Incorporating social justice
An important element of fostering a safe space for my students is actively working towards a classroom culture that is avowedly antiracist, inclusive, and cognizant of social justice issues. One way I do this is by providing historical context to the subject matter in my class, such as Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons and the lasting impacts of prior-appropriation water rights on Indigenous communities. I engage students in discussions on contemporary social justice issues related to course content and encourage students to suggest additional topics, issues, and perspectives I may have missed.
To balance the long history of dominant identities in the field, I introduce my students to work by diverse authors, practitioners, and data producers, and discuss environmental justice topics such as open data practices and data sovereignty. I challenge my students to think critically about the issues discussed in class and to be cautious of narratives told only from the viewpoint of dominant identities. I also engage students in conversations regarding workplace safety, including invited presentations from The Fieldwork Initiative, an organization which works to educate and provide support on issues related to gendered and identity-based violence in fieldwork. Similarly, I have advocated to make funding available for basic first aid and Swiftwater training courses for students participating in field courses and conducting fieldwork in remote areas. In environmental science and related fields, it is important that we acknowledge the effect of the Nature Gap on who finds and feels at home in our discipline. While discussions like those led by The Fieldwork Initiative, safety trainings, and access to proper gear will not correct for a history of inequal access to nature and environmental injustices or safeguard against every possible threat and prejudice, it can be an important tool for increasing participation of historically marginalized identities.