Teaching
These pages serve not only as evidence of my teaching effectiveness, but also provide a space for personal reflection and growth in relation to my teaching goals and strategies.
In addition to my classroom teaching experiences I have presented public community workshops and trainings on themes of cultural heritage and community uses of archaeology. I also chair the Department of Anthropology Curriculum Committee, and was the lead designer on the new Public Heritage & Community Engagement program at UTRGV.
My teaching philosophy gives narrative voice to the values that are at the core of my syllabus and assignment creation, namely an emphasis on four-field anthropology within a liberal art environment and a classroom atmosphere that respects the diverse contributions and interests that students bring to each course. The success with which I am able to articulate these values within the structure of a course are recognized by exemplary quantitative and qualitative student evaluations.
My portfolio is a work in progress that expands in depth and coverage as my teaching experience increases, as I engage in further professional development, and as I continue to reflect on past experiences with students, both in and out of the classroom.