TEACHING IS MY JAM

I realized my passion for teaching as a master's student at James Madison University. Although I had envisioned graduate school as a way to stay involved in collegiate speech, undergraduate education quickly became the highlight of my master's experience. At JMU, I moved from teaching assistant to graduate instructor to adjunct faculty before finally becoming a lecturer in 2018. Soon after, I resolved that I would pursue a doctorate and attempt my dream of earning a tenure-track teaching position; the following year, joined the doctoral program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

I’m still early in my career, but already I have taught courses in Public Speaking, Argumentation, Media Literacy, and Environmental Communication. I’ve had semesters with only 11 students and semesters with almost 150 students, taught some courses asynchronously online and others face-to-face, and navigated constantly evolving curriculum requirements. All of these variables have influenced my teaching philosophy and list of courses, which you can see below.