Teaching Philosophy Statement
The best thing I can do is inspire the students to stay curious and grow critical thinking. Content disappears, but skills and feelings remain. I spent most of my life as a learner and a student, rather than as a teacher. So, I emulate the professors who shaped my education and my life. Ultimately, I do not remember the “what” of their lectures, but I remember the feeling of passion and the way they taught me to think. I treasured the lessons from my documentary filmmaking professor, who taught me how to develop goals through personal reflection and journaling and how to create an ethos that echoes through each stage of filmmaking and shines through the final film. I carried those ways of thinking throughout my life, even as I moved away from filmmaking. While I could not tell you how to operate a camera or edit clips in Adobe, I still explore meaning through journaling and reflection, and I still begin each new project by developing an ethos to focus my goal. For teaching, my ethos is simple: compassion, curiosity, and creativity. Every time I enter the classroom, I center myself on these words to capture the right environment for facilitating students’ critical thinking skills.
Compassion, Curiosity, and Creativity in Classroom Management
I chose these three words because learning occurs when students feel safe. Safe to speak their minds, safe to try new things, and safe to be vulnerable. Compassionate teachers foster a setting free from fear of failure. Expressing genuine curiosity in the subject and the students' lives and personalities molds a community based on connection. Creativity in answering questions and problem-solving encourages students to approach me with difficulties in their studies or issues outside class. I try to be conscious that my class is just one piece of life pie, and sometimes things happen. Paramount is creating relationships with students where they feel comfortable communicating with me, whether through engagement in class discussions or activities, or pulling me aside for extra help or personal struggles.
When students feel at ease, they can engage more fully with the material and exercise their critical thinking skills without fear of “being wrong.” One particularly shy student told me privately that she wanted to engage in our discussions, but she was so worried that she would be wrong. Despite the cliché, there are no wrong answers when we are experimenting together. I asked her how I could help, and she said it was for her to figure out. But I did not let it go and intentionally affirmed and encouraged her contributions. Then, during a field trip to the State Capital to speak with representatives about environmental issues, I realized she was much more confident when she had something prepared. In response, I incorporated more small group discussions before class-wide sharing, and she—and others—began speaking up more often.
Through this ethos, classes are full of lively discussion and meaningful participation. Attendance records flourish, with rarely any skipping, and if a student does miss, they almost always tell me ahead of time. I believe strong classroom participation stems from the supported environment I intentionally cultivated, where students want to learn and look forward to class rather than avoiding or dreading it. Many times, students will tell me how they enjoy my class, and while they may skip others, they always make sure to attend mine.
Pedagogy Prioritizing Compassion, Curiosity, and Creativity.
To teach students to think, or as I frequently say, make those cogs turn, I implement an inquiry-based, collaborative approach. Thinking does not occur when learners are passive subjects awash in a firehose of information; it happens when they grapple with problems and use the tools provided to them to work through them. Through my legal education, I teach students how to handle problems like a lawyer. Such a task involves several elements: 1) storytelling, 2) issue-spotting, 3) reasoning, and 4) identifying counterpoints.
Storytelling is the most approachable, and I emphasize its importance from day one, and every class after that. Whether it be telling the story of a case from different points of view or gauging how a story can change minds, I challenge the students to think critically about a story and how differences in language and message can reroute the issue. Students must incorporate elements of storytelling in their projects. For example, in an oral argument exercise, the students went through a fake discovery period where they were tasked to create additional facts that would support their argument and create a more sympathetic and compelling story for their client.
Reasoning and issue-spotting typically rely on understanding the rules, which I teach through a historical and sociological approach, blending lecture with discussion. Students also explore rules and reasoning through judicial decisions and case materials. Since issue-spotting can be the most challenging aspect, it forms the heart of our inquiry-based learning. Early in the semester, we practice this skill using case studies or hypotheticals. For example, with permission, I incorporated a Stanford Case Study involving a toxic pesticide that caused illness among farm workers—a classic toxic tort scenario. Students first analyzed the case individually, then collaborated as a class to identify key issues. As they called out issues, I recorded them on the board. For each issue, we linked relevant legal rules and brainstormed how to apply the facts to the law, while also anticipating potential counterarguments. This method helped students learn to organize their legal reasoning in a structured, thoughtful way.
Through class-wide and small group collaboration, students bounce ideas off each other, sharpening their creative and critical thinking skills. I find that collaboration not only sparks creativity but also deepens analysis, as students often identify additional issues or arguments I had not anticipated. In the process, they build a sense of community that naturally reinforces the compassionate, curious, and creative ethos I aim to cultivate.
Facilitating learning through an inquiry-based approach allows students to test new ideas, receive compassionate feedback, and revise their analysis creatively. Students practiced problem-solving in written and oral forms, and I responded with substantive and detailed feedback. Students may rewrite and edit their written work for a second bite at the apple. For oral presentations, we held practice sessions where students could try out their skills in a low-pressure environment before the formal assignment. Students responded well to these multiple chances, and I consistently saw major improvements with each attempt.
Conclusion
At the heart of my teaching is the belief that what truly lasts are not the facts students memorize, but the creativity, curiosity, and compassion they carry forward. My hope is that every student leaves my classroom a stronger thinker, a more creative problem-solver, and someone who trusts their own voice. By nurturing a space where students feel safe to question, imagine, and grow, I aim to honor the incredible mentors who shaped my own journey—and to pass that spirit forward.
