Teaching Philosophy
For me, teaching is not a supplemental skill to my repertoire as a scholar, it is part of a transformative exchange wherein teachers and learners gain an awareness of the interdependence of themselves, others, and the environment. As a teacher, I could not agree more with, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist scholar and pedagogue, who asserts, “People are shaped by people. There is no genuine education without earnest life-to-life interaction and inspiration.” Thus, as a teacher and mentor, I am committed to developing the unique character and potential of each learner, while engaging in rigorous learning and critical thinking to inspire the next generation of social change agents. My teaching is deeply informed by women of color feminisms and critical pedagogies. Thus, tenets that shape my teaching pedagogy are: (a) the purpose of education is to liberate all people, (b) we all are carriers and holders of knowledge; thus, there is power in theorizing from the body and drawing on experiential knowledge, and (c) course material and teaching should be relevant to students’ everyday lives.
Courses Taught
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Instructor of Record, Undergraduate Course
2022: Latina/o Genders & Sexualities (LLS 230/GWS 230)
San José State University, Instructor of Record, Undergraduate Courses
2021: Queering Gender Class and Race (WOMS 160)
2019 – 2021: Sex, Power, Politics (WOMS 101)
2019 – 2020: Introduction to LGBT Studies (SOCI 172)
UCLA Instructor Undergraduate Courses
2018:Queer Deviant Bodies: Migration the Border and Making Home
2017: Introduction to Chicana/o Studies: Social Issues and Contemporary Conditions
UCLA Mentor and Facilitator for courses designed for Graduate Research Mentorship Programs in AAP
2016: Summer Graduate Prep
2015 – 2016: McNair Scholars Program: Interdisciplinary Research Methods & Community Research
UCLA Teaching Assistant/Associate (2013 – 2018)
Introduction to Sociology (SOCI 10),
Introduction to Chicana/o Studies: History and Culture, (CCS 10A),
Introduction to LGBTQ Studies, (LGBTQS 114/GENDER 114),
Border Consciousness (CCS 152),
Mestizaje: History of Diverse Racial/Cultural Roots of Mexico, (CCS 134),
Theoretical Concepts in Chicana/o Studies, (CCS 101),
Introduction to Chicana/o Studies: Social Structures, Contemporary Conditions, (CCS 101)