Teaching

On this page, you can find a brief description of my teaching philosophy, a list of courses taught, copies of my syllabi, and a summaries of my recent teaching evaluations.

Teaching philosophy

Through experience as an instructor of record, and as a TA, I have developed a teaching philosophy that emphasizes multiple teaching techniques, a collaborative and mutually respectful classroom environment, and a focus on the benefits students can gain from the study of political science. I rely on a mix of lecture, small-group discussions, large-group discussions, exercises, and simulations to help students engage with social-science topics. To help students connect with the course, I work to be transparent with students about my goals and the purpose of assignments. In order to encourage thoughtful discussion, I make an effort to connect our theories to real-world events, either from the news or well-known episodes in history. Finally, I tailor assignments to help students build awareness of the language political scientists use to describe the world, to develop analytical skills, and to practice writing, problem-solving in groups, and public speaking–skills that are broadly applicable in life and career.

I have served as instructor of record for Introduction to Comparative Politics three times, and Introduction to European Government three times. Previously, I taught recitation sections for introductory courses in international relations, comparative politics, and European government. I am prepared to teach introductory courses on any of these topics, and would be interested in teaching upper level courses on democratization, authoritarian politics, election manipulation, and the politics of Russia and the former Soviet Union. Given my methodological training, I am also capable of teaching courses on research methods.

Teaching experience