I strive to foster critical thinking about cultural productions and the use and misuse of historical analysis in my courses. As a scholar of gender studies, African American history, Black studies, and Anglo Atlantic histories, my critiques use an interdisciplinary approach to primary and textual material that give students varying perspectives of the past and hopefully the present. I am committed to collaborative learning, not just among students but also between instructors and students.
The Spring of 2021 was a singular teaching moment across the world. We are in a pandemic that has created an overlapping and quotidian crisis in health, economics, culture, social relationships, and education. My challenge began with acknowledging the difficulties in focusing and technology that some students would face. In my course, Blacks in Americas, I focused on creating an environment that respected divergent opinions and backgrounds. My teaching practices—small group discussions, scaffolding reading and studying skills, writing, presentations, historical primary source discussion, citational methodologies, and digital humanities—relied on fostering a classroom environment where the difference would be celebrated, and debate was rigorous and safe.
As an educator and historian, I am blessed with the role and responsibility to lead students toward answering the riddles of life for themselves. I will continue to train students to become conscious when viewing cultural materials. This awareness will serve as a great tool to engage with the constantly shifting information world. By listening to students and adapting to their development as scholars, I will continue to create class environments that support student growth and joy of learning.