Teaching Portfolio

Teaching Philosophy

I find I am most effective in the classroom when I balance supporting students and challenging them. Over the 10+ years I’ve been teaching, I have fine-tuned a pedagogy that centers investment, relevance, inclusion, and rigor as four central values important for effective teaching. I’ve used this pedagogy to teach at a community college, a teaching college, and a research university. I believe firmly that while students come from a variety of backgrounds, all are capable of learning.

This brief teaching portfolio includes information about my work and samples of syllabi, videos, and other materials.

Teaching History

Instructor, UC Davis

Crossing Waters, Crossing Worlds: Black and Indigenous Resistance, Native American Studies, Winter 2021 (First Year Seminar)

Black and Indigenous Histories and Futures in the Caribbean, Native American Studies, Fall 2020 (co-taught First Year Seminar)

Lecturer, Sacramento State University

Introduction to Pan-African Studies, Ethnic Studies, Spring 2021

Introduction to Ethnic Studies, Ethnic Studies, Fall 2020

Black Images in Popular Culture, Ethnic Studies, Spring 2020

Teaching Assistant, UC Davis

Cultural Representations of Gender, Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, Fall 2019

Introduction to Critical Gender Studies, Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, Spring 2019

Women in African Societies, African American and African Studies, Winter 2019

Black Images in Popular Culture, African American and African Studies, Fall 2018

English Instructor, Diablo Valley College

College Writing Development, English, Fall 2016

Integrated College Reading and Writing Development, English, Spring 2016

     College Reading Development, English, Fall 2015/Fall 2016

Teaching Assistant, Mills College

Rhetoric and Composition for the College Writer, English, Fall 2013, Spring 2014

Beginning Fiction for Children and Young Adults Workshop, English, Spring 2015

Topics in Creative Non-Fiction Prose: Memoirs of Rebel Girls, English, Spring 2015

Community Creative Writing courses, self-employed

Stakes in Story, Instructor at the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, 2021

The Wonderland of Myth, Instructor, 2016

Characters for Social Action, Instructor, 2016

Dreaming Wakefulness Collective Weekend Seminar, Co-Director, 2016

Sample Syllabi

Here are syllabi from past courses I taught:

Skills Lab Videos

In order to help students close gaps in their knowledge and academic skills, I assign weekly “Skills Lab” informal assignments. Some of the skills covered each semester include: setting SMART goals, active reading, note taking, utilizing library resources, and more. For some of the Skills Labs, I created custom videos to ensure all students have the skills they need for success in the classroom and beyond.