Philosophy

Teaching is an act of becoming. It is also a political act. I would not teach if I did not believe that my actions affect the future well being of individuals, our society, and the world at large.

I teach so that my students can dig into themselves and understand who they are, how they are positioned in the world, and how they can improve life around them by using text in powerful ways. As future or novice teachers, my students are engaged in work that will affect thousands of lives.

They need to understand teaching is not just a job; it is a vocation. Based on my understanding of the learning theories put forward by Vygotsky and neo-Vygotskians, I believe learning occurs at the intersection of social interaction and cognitive activity. Therefore, I design learning environments that ask students to think, to collaborate, and to recheck their thinking.

Because I believe we learn what we do and see, I engage students in activities through which they can come to understand themselves as learners and apply that understanding to their future students. I model the ways of thinking and types of behaviors I want my students to engage in as teachers. I have high expectations for my students as future teachers and I hold myself to the same standards