In my teaching practice, I believe in inclusive classrooms, and in a disability justice pedagogy. This means scaffolding multiple pathways to success, providing opportunities for learner input, and thinking intentionally and directly about what it is we mean when we say “rigor” in the classroom. Every student can and should contribute, and given the right supports this creates an engaging and stimulating classroom community where everyone benefits. No instructor is perfect, and this includes me, but I strive to create an environment where everyone feels seen, supported, and empowered to contribute and to learn.

I also believe in the transformative power of making in and through the classroom. That is, students should be afforded the opportunity to thing through objects and concepts, and then, to reflect on that process through multimodal composition, iteration, and delivery. Making, composing, and designing, for me, are all terms that seek to name the same process. And, importantly, we each build and imagine the worlds we live in.

Whether it is an essay, an art piece, or a Twine game, I want students to emerge with a (re)newed sense of expertise. Or, put differently, student coming into classrooms today are not blank slates, they never have been, and I want students to recognize in themselves expertise, capacity, and possibility.