Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy centers on the belief that promoting equity and social justice in schools requires that school leaders possess: (1) an understanding of how institutionalized and systematic forms of oppression perpetuate inequalities, (2) an understanding of leadership practices that can contest and replace oppressive structures within schools, and (3) the moral courage to embody social justice values. Given my research focus on justice-centered school leadership and my current position teaching school leadership aspirants in the M.S.Ed., Ed.S., and Ph.D. programs in Educational Leadership at Old Dominion University, my teaching experiences have situated me to expose leadership aspirants to issues of justice and directly support their development as socially just school leaders who will make a tangible difference in the lives of students. Therefore, I view teaching as a central facet of my identity as a social justice scholar and a key mechanism through which I can advance educational justice for historically marginalized students within PK-12 schools.

Aligned with this philosophy, I have consistently centered the development of leadership aspirants’ critical consciousness and justice-centered leadership knowledge and skills (Capper et al., 2006) as key learning objectives in my courses. In the ODU Ph.D. program, I have taught ELS 876: Leadership for Social Justice for two semesters and am teaching ELS 815: Leadership for Equity and Inclusive Education for the first time in Fall 2024. Beginning in the 2024-25 AY, I will offer ELS 815 and 876 as a two-semester, sequenced learning experience for first-year leadership aspirants. (Please see the Teaching Experiences page to access current and historic syllabi I have developed for these courses.) This sequence will develop aspirants’ justice-centered dispositions and identities in the first semester and their leadership knowledge and skills in the second semester, centering the use of improvement science processes to promote justice-centered school improvements. I have also taught ELS 757-857: Educational Law and Ethics for two semesters within the M.S.Ed. and Ed.S. principal preparation programs, where I explored implications for justice within our examination of the legal boundaries governing schools. To support justice-centered learning objectives, in my courses I invest effort into creating inclusive and respectful learning environments where justice-centered growth is possible, and position learning processes as paramount over grades to encourage vulnerability and risk-taking toward change. Below, I provide more detail on my teaching philosophy and how I seek to embody it.

Aspirant Critical Consciousness as a Learning Objective. Critical consciousness relates to aspirants’ understandings of self and their role in the social world, particularly relating to systems of oppression, as well as their understandings of diverse identities and the ways in which these are socially constructed yet still impactful. It's essential that school leaders recognize their socially constructed identities and the systems of oppression they uphold to enact meaningful change in perspectives, practices, and positionalities. Aspirants who develop a strong critical consciousness are more attuned to the diverse needs and experiences of historically marginalized students. To cultivate aspirants’ critical consciousness, I rely on course readings and materials that introduce aspirants to a wide range of ideas, particularly related to identity (e.g., race, class, sexuality, gender, (dis)ability), and elevate often-silenced voices in the classroom by intentionally integrating the perspectives of historically marginalized individuals through readings, videos, and podcasts. I also incorporate materials that explore critical theories, empowering aspirants to identify systems of oppression within educational policies and leadership practices. Critical reflection is a key pedagogical component in my courses, allowing aspirants to process their reactions to course materials in ways that build their critical consciousness. Through reflection, aspirants can examine their own positionality in relation to course materials and identify areas for growth. I use routine written reflections, class discussions, cultural autobiographies, and cultural plunges as strategies for promoting critical reflection. Rational discourse, or discussion, is another method I use to develop aspirants’ critical consciousness, allowing them to use one another as learning resources. In particular, class discussions where aspirants share their own perspectives and experiences provide insights into issues of oppression from different lenses, offering a more personal dimension than readings alone can convey.

Aspirant Justice-Centered Leadership Knowledge and Skills as a Learning Objective. Leadership aspirants must not only understand the systemic inequities and oppressive structures that exist—and their role within these—but also be equipped with the skills to challenge, dismantle, and replace these systems. In my teaching, I prioritize the development of justice-centered leadership knowledge and skills, focusing on how aspirants can put their critical consciousness into practice within their own school settings. To facilitate this, I integrate research on justice-centered leadership approaches into course materials and activities, drawing out practices other leaders have used to pursue justice. I also include readings on the barriers and risks within justice work, and how other leaders have maintained the moral courage to persist in justice work despite these challenges. Within class sessions, I use rational discourse to facilitate collaborative meaning-making activities related to the reading assignments, guiding students through thought-provoking discussions that help them connect theoretical concepts to practical applications. For example, I frequently use teaching case studies (e.g., from the Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership) to ground course discussions, where aspirants analyze and respond to hypothetical justice-centered issues within schools, envisioning how they might address these issues. Additionally, I provide opportunities for aspirants to plan for and enact change as part of course structures and assignments. This includes collaborative problem-solving, where students work together to address real-world issues and think through practical challenges, making the in-class experience not only informative but also hands-on and applicable to their work. For instance, in ELS 876, I have integrated a community of practice model in which aspirants work across the semester to solve a justice-centered problem of practice through a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle of improvement. Throughout the semester, aspirants workshop their problems of practice and share tools, resources, and experiences to assist one another in the actual work of justice-centered school improvement. I also offer opportunities for aspirants to complete projects like activist action plans or community asset maps that are meaningful to their specific school contexts, rather than relying solely on traditional research papers as assessments. This further connects their learning to real-world applications and develops their justice-centered skill sets.

Inclusive and Respectful Learning Environments. The curricular and pedagogical objectives and designs mentioned above cannot be achieved in hostile learning environments. Aspirants need to feel comfortable being open, honest, and vulnerable, particularly given the highly sensitive nature of class discussions and activities that center on issues of identity (e.g., discussions of racism in a group of white and Black students). To create more inclusive and respectful environments where aspirants can more readily develop critical consciousness, I begin the semester with a class discussion to create mutually agreed-upon class norms. These norms delineate expectations for how individuals should treat one another during discussions. I have also recently begun offering an entire class session dedicated to exploring difficult discussions around race and other issues of identity to support stronger conversations. During in-class discussions, I monitor these norms and class dynamics to ensure all students can voice their perspectives. When historically marginalized voices and perspectives seem silenced, I call attention to this and encourage students to consider the impact of their words. Additionally, I use small group discussions and anonymous participation tools to give students who may be hesitant to speak in larger settings a platform to share their thoughts. Finally, I have found that my relationships with aspirants make a significant difference in the classroom. I make myself accessible and approachable to my students, whether addressing questions about course content and assignments, guiding students through graduate school processes, or even just talking through their personal struggles. Creating these relationships with aspirants allows me to better understand dynamics and perspectives, which I believe supports a healthier and more transformative classroom environment.

Positioning Learning as a Process and Decentering Grades. Aspirants who focus solely on grades are less likely to take risks and push themselves intellectually, which can hinder their development as justice-centered leaders. With this in mind, I encourage aspirants to engage actively with course materials and emphasize learning for the sake of understanding rather than just for grades. I provide opportunities for students to refine their understanding by offering constructive and detailed feedback, from which aspirants may resubmit edited assignments. I also offer a variety of options within my assignments to ensure that learning is more centered around individual aspirants’ interests and needs. For example, in the final assessment for ELS 876, I allow aspirants to choose from several options, such as a community asset map, book study, activist action plan, or cultural autobiography. Additionally, I have recently begun using specifications grading in ELS 815, which centers aspirant critical consciousness. In this course, the primary assignments are all forms of reflection. Rather than assigning letter grades to these reflections, and thereby drawing aspirants’ attention to grades, aspirants must simply meet the stated requirements for each assignment (e.g., complete a 5-page double-spaced book reflection addressing three specific components) to receive full points. My hope is that this new grading scheme will allow aspirants to focus on their own development rather than on their grades.