Whether I am teaching an introductory communications class, higher-level creative writing classes or a one-off workshop, my teaching philosophy rests upon three major interlocking pillars: compassion, play, and progress-over-product.

These pillars have developed in two ways: the first is my own experience as a student, the second throughout my various experiences of teaching across contexts and contents. From hosting writing workshops for teens in the Chicago Public Libraries to teaching foundational composition courses and creative writing workshops to undergraduates at Iowa State University, my students are never more engaged than when I am teaching from these three places. This is not a one-size-fits-all way of facilitating a classroom, rather a model that allows room for the unique needs of my diverse students to co-exist in our shared space.