Pleasure-based Learning
Seeking connection, resistance, and joy in the classroom
Learn about my approach to teaching
Classroom ruckus might not be a common assessment of student learning, but it is what best encapsulates and motivates my success as an educator. As bell hooks contends, “joyful practice” and community-building are central to student learning, engagement, and empowerment.
The current era of racial violence and social isolation inspired my pursuit of a joyful classroom. My perspective as a sociologist studying gender and race inspired my feminist pedagogy, where we critically reflect on our power and privilege, build community, and seek to actualize a more just future.
For the last four semesters, I’ve cultivated this approach teaching Sex and Gender in Society on intersectional inequality. From the first page of my bright syllabus to the final class session imagining gender utopias, I treat learning as a celebration, not to be taken lightly, but a cherished opportunity to expand our understanding of the social world and arsenal of tools to improve it. I look forward to bringing this feminist approach to a variety of sociological courses in pursuit of joy and justice.
Courses taught
Sociology of Gender
Race and Ethnicity
Race, Class, and Gender
Qualitative Data Collection & Analysis
Sociology of Reproduction/Reproductive Rights
Sample Lesson Plans
Social Science Panel Discussion
Controlling Images in Social Media
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Please contact me for a copy of my latest syllabi, assignments, and activities