Teaching Philosophy
In the classroom, I engage with critical communication pedagogy to challenge students to reflect upon what they have been taught about what matters in society and who is valued, important, and relevant. As a scholar committed to social justice, I stress the importance of how mediated communication has both theoretical and material implications for contributing to societal norms for behavior, interaction, and organizing. With a critical theoretical lens, I invite students to question the hegemonic discourses that are present in course readings, the media, and in their lives. To encourage classroom community and cooperative learning, all students are encouraged to get to know one another through introductory exercises, group projects, class dialogues and spontaneous “group moments,” where class freezes and students turn to one another to ask questions, reflect on the material of the day, and write and share reactions without the pressure of addressing the entire class.
Some time ago, I asked a close mentor of mine, who is an experienced communication professor about the greatest challenge of teaching communication, she responded, “It is to make people think about what they think they already know.” My objective in becoming a communication professor was to share in the experience of learning how interactions, identities, and discourses culminate into the social norms that guide the creation of laws, policies, and organizations that shape society. In inviting students to challenge what they have been taught and to reflect upon and share how their lives have been impacted by dominant discourses, the classroom becomes a space to think through diverse ideas, perspectives and insights on complex social issues. The hope, and the promise of critical pedagogy, is that this thoughtful reflection will lead students to action.
Whether teaching a course on perspectives of communication, organizational communication or business and professional communication, my focus is ensuring that the classroom environment is one where students feel challenged, supported, and included. This ideal learning setting is achieved by including course readings from a wide range of authors, by providing diverse examples and applications of material, and by connecting concepts to the lived experiences of the students in the class. As a teacher, and as someone who has benefited greatly from the access and mobility that higher education can provide, I am inspired, guided, and driven by the words of José Martí when he wrote that all people “have a right to be educated; and then in return, they have the obligation to educate others.”