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My Teaching Philosophy

Armed with a Certificate in College Teaching from Vanderbilt University's Center for Teaching and a Masters of Education from Harvard University, my teaching philosophy informs not only what I teach, but how I approach my teaching.

Learning is my first and lifelong love. My experiences in school and through community service built my passion for knowing, just as great educators and activists inspired me to dedicate my life to becoming a respectful, relatable, and critically reflective professor, myself.

Clear, open, and honest communication is essential for developing respect for and from others. This respect is essential for cultivating a transparent and supportive learning environment. Positioning our classroom time together as a shared, corrigible contract, I will always share my “why” for

expectations, grounding them in intentionality, theory, and shared understanding.

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Community engaged research is also central to my classroom. I believe assessments should

function as insightful snapshots of a learner, but the full story of what a learner

can do is told best by how they can apply and enact their knowledge within

their own lives, communities, and in service of the greater good.

 

Developing students’ own reflective voice through critical inquiry

and community-engaged research skills will be an additional way

that I will help them to see the connection between the content they

are learning and their own lives and personal growth. Specifically, this

growth will take the form of an intentional commitment to

community-engaged research that is ethical, practical, and focused

around empowering students to learn, grow, and serve.

Through a committed, iterative, and engaged teaching practice,

I endeavor to share my love of learning with all the students entrusted to me, as well as the communities we influence together.

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Teaching & Instruction

Guest Lecturer
August 2021-May 2024

Graduate Teaching Assistant
August 2019-December 2022

Teaching Fellow
January 2018-May 2019

Graduate Teaching Fellow
July 2017

English Teaching Fellow & International Student Ambassador
May 2013-May 2015

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Presented for majority of course period for graduate and undergraduate students, providing expert insight on special topics (i.e., eviction research in Nashville, digital wellbeing) that contributed to course content using interactive activities.

  • Action Research (Fall 2021) IOR: Drs. Paul Speer and Brian Christens

  • Applied Human Development (Fall 2022) IOR: Dr. David Carlone

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Provided proactive instructional support, evaluated student work, held weekly office hours, shared research experience through course presentations, and mentored undergraduate students in the following courses:

  • Applied Human Development (6 semesters) IORs: Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, Dr. Jeremy Payne, & Dr. David Carlone

  • Small Group Behavior (1 semester) IOR: Dr. David Carlone

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Provided instructional support, graded student work, held weekly office hours, shared research experience through course presentations, and mentored graduate students in the following courses:

  • Innovation by Design (Fall 2018) IOR: Dr. David Dockterman

  • Introduction to Qualitative Policy & Program Evaluation (Spring 2018, Spring 2019 ) IOR: Dr. Lynn Sacks

  • Designing Surveys & Questionnaires (Spring 2018) IOR: Dr. Joe McIntyre

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Facilitated group conversations between students from over 26 countries on the topic of international politics and populism; led intensive, small group work for three weeks in a semi-supervised setting with esteemed faculty advisors and staff; and mentored undergraduate students in technology, digital media, journalism, and game making to produce final course projects.

  • Salzburg Academy for Media & Global Change (3.5 weeks)

 

Learn more about this summer academy and affiliated projects here.

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Developed relationships with incoming undergraduate international students and taught courses; served as orientation leader for students during summer institute; and assisted in planning of International Student Orientation.

  • Intro to College English & Writing (2 Summers)

  • Time Management 101 (2 Summers)

She did a great job making sure the class was engaged, was always prepared, the class never dragged on, and she just did a great job in general.

Vanderbilt Student (Fall 2021)

It is easy to perceive when

teachers care about your learning, and Rachel certainly cared a lot...She was open–minded about students' opinions and has the necessary characteristics to be a great professor in the future.

Vanderbilt Student (Fall 2019)

She encouraged us

to participate a lot. She also knows the material very well and provided quality feedback on papers and projects.

Vanderbilt Student (Spring 2021)

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