Teaching

On the first day of class, I introduce my teaching philosophy by using the analogy of playing a musical instrument. Just as you learn a musical instrument by playing it, you learn political science by doing it. This simple idea – to teach by guiding student engagement with the instrument of political science inquiry – drives my approach to teaching and motivates my choice of service activities. Teaching has always been a key motivating factor in my desire to be a professor. Teaching, like learning, is never done. I always strive to improve my teaching through self-reflection, outside evaluations, learning about changes in the political system, and keeping up with the latest scholarship. I recall my own joy analyzing data from my senior thesis and the deep discussions I had in college that exposed me to different perspectives. It is in this tradition that I continue to form relationships with students, to introduce challenging conversations into my courses, and to create a classroom environment where students playing the political science music can be heard.

Miami students should feel free to contact me or schedule an appointment during my office hours or, if needed, reference my course policies. I routinely co-author with students and provide guidance to students looking to do their own research, through independent studies, honors theses, or MA projects. Please contact me for more details.

I routinely teach the following courses:

• Introduction to American politics
• Campaigns and Elections
• Gender, Politics, and Policy in the U.S.
• Political Psychology Capstone