I approach teaching and tutoring the way I approach sociology and human rights—with great enthusiasm and interest. Since my early college years, I felt the intense desire to make an impact in our world by influencing future generations. I wanted to wake up young minds to the multiple injustices taking place in their communities as well as around the world and instill in them the desire to change the world. The middle school, high school and college setting gives me the opportunity to engage the student in a stage of their lives where they are willing to try anything that may broaden their horizons. Furthermore, I honor the great pedagogical thinker, Paulo Freire, who believed that educating is just a reciprocal process: teachers as well as students learning from each other.

Though my primary field is sociology, I am versed in Liberal Arts due to my experience and background. Not all students are sociology majors and thus, not all students respond to a sociological manner of thinking. By presenting primary documents, government documents and other sources, I am able to draw out the contributions of a variety of students. I am especially pleased to present visual material to students who have not regularly engaged with such texts, and are surprised at how much a picture of movie has to say about sociological ideas and its connection to contemporary world. I am not afraid to admit uncertainty, for uncertainty provides the basis for all new knowledge. My philosophy applies equally at both the general introductory level, as well as in more advanced sources, where students engage material at more detailed topical levels. I continually learn from my students, as I hope they learn from me; I firmly believe that higher education works best with a system of exchange. I love teaching and tutoring; and I feel this comes across in my regular classroom interactions. I feel that my student evaluations and the optional comments they share reflect my commitment to active learning.