Undergraduate Teaching Experience and Pedagogical Development
Although I've had the pleasure of working on some exciting research projects, some of my most rewarding academic experiences have been in the classroom, both as a teacher and a learner.
Throughout my graduate studies, I've had ample opportunities to refine my teaching skills. As a Teaching Assistant on 12 separate occasions, I built a strong foundation by gaining experience in grading and assessment, lecturing, facilitating, designing seminars and tutorials, and especially designing immersive and participatory exercises. In 2017, I completed a course in Pedagogy and Course Design from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Alberta. In the 2017/2018 academic year, I was awarded a Graduate Student Teaching Award from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta.
More recently, I have been able to build upon this foundation as a Primary Instructor on several occasions. Over the past few years, I've taught several courses in the Department of Political Studies at Queen's University. These opportunities have further refined my teaching skills, including course design, lecturing, and course administration and communication.
Many of the contexts in which I have taught included substantial collaboration, including team and co-teaching, and ample opportunities for peer observation and feedback (as a teacher and an observer). Given the immense challenges of the pandemic, my teaching experiences required a proficiency in hybrid and online teaching and learning. I am thus well acquainted with teaching in virtual environments and associated technology.
From 2018 to 2021, I spearheaded a collaborative initiative to create more opportunities for graduate teaching training and mentorship in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta. The initiative eventually spawned a formal working group - Teaching and Pedagogy in Political Science (TaPPS) - comprised of contract instructors, graduate students, and faculty members. Since its inception, the group has conducted and presented research, organized monthly meetings, helped to inform departmental decision-making, organized events, and, most importantly, built an impressive community of scholars (both junior and senior) who are passionate about teaching and learning.
Colleagues and I are currently working on a research project that reflects on these activities and provides resources for other graduate students in our field that are interested in receiving more formal teaching training and collaborating on pedagogical and professional development.
In 2023/2024, I was the Peacock Postdoctoral Fellow in Pedagogy, an innovative position that included both academic research and support for a Teaching Working Group in the Department of Political Studies. In the 'Research' section of this site, I briefly explain current research projects in the field of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). My position also includes offering training and mentorship to teaching assistants and organizing events focused on teaching and learning (for graduate students and faculty).
Currently, I'm a Research Associate with the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Queen's. In the 'Research' section of this site, I explain a new research project about the health of campus discussions that will offer new resources to teachers navigating difficult conversations in the classroom.
I am comfortable teaching a variety of subjects and (sub)fields in Political Science and adjacent fields, including: Canadian Politics, Law and Politics, International Relations, Political Theory and Philosophy, Human Rights, and The Politics of Sport. Below, you can find a list of previous courses in which I have recently taught.
Recent Courses Taught as a Primary Instructor:
POLS 422: Public Opinion - Queen's University (Fall 2023)
POLS 422: Public Opinion - Queen's University (Winter 2023)
POLS 355: Issues in Contemporary Political Theory (Extremism and Polarization) - Queen's University (Fall 2022)
POLS 393: Topics in Comparative Politics (The Politics of Free Expression) - Queen's University (Winter 2022)
POLS 422: Public Opinion - Queen's University (Fall 2021)
POL S 305: Contemporary Political Theory (The Theory of Free Expression) - University of Alberta (Summer 2021)
POL S 101: Introduction to Politics - University of Alberta (Winter 2021)
POL S 390: Law and Politics - University of Alberta (Winter 2020)
Recent Courses Taught as a Teaching Assistant:
POL S 212: Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory - University of Alberta (Fall 2020)
POL S 212: Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory - University of Alberta (Fall 2019)
POL S 212: Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory - University of Alberta (Winter 2019)
POL S 211: Introduction to History of Political Theory - University of Alberta (Fall 2018)
POL S 212: Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory - University of Alberta (Winter 2018)
POL S 224: Canadian Government - University of Alberta (Fall 2017)
Throughout my graduate studies, I've had ample opportunities to refine my teaching skills. As a Teaching Assistant on 12 separate occasions, I built a strong foundation by gaining experience in grading and assessment, lecturing, facilitating, designing seminars and tutorials, and especially designing immersive and participatory exercises. In 2017, I completed a course in Pedagogy and Course Design from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Alberta. In the 2017/2018 academic year, I was awarded a Graduate Student Teaching Award from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta.
More recently, I have been able to build upon this foundation as a Primary Instructor on several occasions. Over the past few years, I've taught several courses in the Department of Political Studies at Queen's University. These opportunities have further refined my teaching skills, including course design, lecturing, and course administration and communication.
Many of the contexts in which I have taught included substantial collaboration, including team and co-teaching, and ample opportunities for peer observation and feedback (as a teacher and an observer). Given the immense challenges of the pandemic, my teaching experiences required a proficiency in hybrid and online teaching and learning. I am thus well acquainted with teaching in virtual environments and associated technology.
From 2018 to 2021, I spearheaded a collaborative initiative to create more opportunities for graduate teaching training and mentorship in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta. The initiative eventually spawned a formal working group - Teaching and Pedagogy in Political Science (TaPPS) - comprised of contract instructors, graduate students, and faculty members. Since its inception, the group has conducted and presented research, organized monthly meetings, helped to inform departmental decision-making, organized events, and, most importantly, built an impressive community of scholars (both junior and senior) who are passionate about teaching and learning.
Colleagues and I are currently working on a research project that reflects on these activities and provides resources for other graduate students in our field that are interested in receiving more formal teaching training and collaborating on pedagogical and professional development.
In 2023/2024, I was the Peacock Postdoctoral Fellow in Pedagogy, an innovative position that included both academic research and support for a Teaching Working Group in the Department of Political Studies. In the 'Research' section of this site, I briefly explain current research projects in the field of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). My position also includes offering training and mentorship to teaching assistants and organizing events focused on teaching and learning (for graduate students and faculty).
Currently, I'm a Research Associate with the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Queen's. In the 'Research' section of this site, I explain a new research project about the health of campus discussions that will offer new resources to teachers navigating difficult conversations in the classroom.
I am comfortable teaching a variety of subjects and (sub)fields in Political Science and adjacent fields, including: Canadian Politics, Law and Politics, International Relations, Political Theory and Philosophy, Human Rights, and The Politics of Sport. Below, you can find a list of previous courses in which I have recently taught.
Recent Courses Taught as a Primary Instructor:
POLS 422: Public Opinion - Queen's University (Fall 2023)
POLS 422: Public Opinion - Queen's University (Winter 2023)
POLS 355: Issues in Contemporary Political Theory (Extremism and Polarization) - Queen's University (Fall 2022)
POLS 393: Topics in Comparative Politics (The Politics of Free Expression) - Queen's University (Winter 2022)
POLS 422: Public Opinion - Queen's University (Fall 2021)
POL S 305: Contemporary Political Theory (The Theory of Free Expression) - University of Alberta (Summer 2021)
POL S 101: Introduction to Politics - University of Alberta (Winter 2021)
POL S 390: Law and Politics - University of Alberta (Winter 2020)
Recent Courses Taught as a Teaching Assistant:
POL S 212: Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory - University of Alberta (Fall 2020)
POL S 212: Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory - University of Alberta (Fall 2019)
POL S 212: Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory - University of Alberta (Winter 2019)
POL S 211: Introduction to History of Political Theory - University of Alberta (Fall 2018)
POL S 212: Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory - University of Alberta (Winter 2018)
POL S 224: Canadian Government - University of Alberta (Fall 2017)
