When considering the societal impact of my work, teaching is one of the activities where I can most directly and observably impact the world around me. Interacting and engaging with a diverse set of students to support their growth and learning has been and continues to be one of the most meaningful activities to me.
Before coming to UCSD, I had the privilege of teaching high school level Social Studies for five years. To earn and maintain my teaching certification, I completed numerous courses on the best practices of teaching, which is far beyond the level of pedagogical training that people receive while in graduate school. At UCSD, I have had the privilege of teaching sections of the Political Science Department’s undergraduate research design and statistics course Political Inquiry (Poli30), being the instructor of record on two occasions for Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity (Poli100O), mentoring undergraduate students through their own research projects, as well as being a teaching assistant/ grader for a variety of courses on topics such as political parties, public policy, immigration, race and ethnicity in politics, and Latinx Politics.
I look forward to teaching courses on American Politics, Racial and Ethnic Politics in the US, Latinx Politics, Research Methods and Design, as well as American Political Institutions and American Political Behavior. Through my formal pedagogical training required for teaching at the K-12 level and my own experience over the past 10 years of teaching, I have developed and implemented many strategies to support inclusive, student-centered learning. In addition to the course content, I have three primary considerations when developing my syllabi, lesson planning, and designing assessments: promoting an inclusive learning environment, participatory learning, and metacognitive and communication skill-building.
Link to Poli100o Syllabus (Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity)
Link to Sample Course Materials–Presentation Assignment with Student Example
