Teaching

I have spent most of my adult life in teaching or teaching related work. My teaching philosophy is informed by experiences in service-learning and peace education. Whether in person or online, in my classroom I strive for open and honest engagement focused on text and experience.  My favorite sources of teaching inspiration have been Parker Palmer, Myles Horton, and bell hooks.

My current teaching centers on quantitative and qualitative research methods courses and peace and conflict studies classes.

 
 

American University Teaching: Graduate and Undergraduate

  • Introduction to International Studies Research (SIS-206)

  • Advanced International Studies Research: Case Studies and Analytical Narratives (SIS-306

  • Qualitative Research Methods in Peace and Conflict Resolution (SIS-612)

  • International Affairs Stats and Methods (SIS-600)

  • Special Studies in International Politics: Mediation (SIS-619)

  • Peace, Global Security, and Conflict Resolution (SIS-210)

 

In this webinar, I shared my experience with peace education among Christian and Muslim students in Indonesia.

Peace Education: Teaching in Indonesia

Before starting my PhD program I spent five years in Indonesia as a "dosen asing" (foreign lecturer) at Satya Wacana Christian University in a department for future English language teachers.  This teaching position was part of a English-Conflict Transformation secondment through Mennonite Central Committee, a peace and development INGO. As part of my teaching I integrated peace education concepts into my teaching, participated in a project on peace integration across the Satya Wacana curriculum, and presented on these efforts at a variety of workshops. In addition I helped lead a storytelling workshop in Papua as an attempt to elicit stories from a region under intense conflict with heavy restrictions placed on foreign journalists. 
 Feel free to visit the following links to see my personal reflections on teaching peace delivered to a variety of audiences in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. These are not meant to represent my current academic work, but instead point to my development as a teacher. 

  • "Language Teaching as Peacebuilding.” Service and Learning for Peace: Language Teaching in Anabaptist Perspective, Chiang Mai, Thailand. 2013

  • "I am not an Expert! Self-narrative study of a 'native speaker' teacher ." Language Policy and Planning: What are the Issues? 2013

  • “Peace Education in Language and Teacher Education: A Cross-Cultural Understanding Course.” Establishing Peace Culture Through Peace Education in Indonesia, Satya Wacana Peace Center. 2013

  • "Peace Journalism in an EFL Newspaper Reading Course" Proceedings of Language in the Online and Offline World. 2012

 

Service-Learning

Before teaching in Indonesia I worked for two years through AmeriCorps VISTA promoting service learning and community-engaged scholarship through Ohio Campus Compact and the University of Toledo Office of Service Learning and Community Engagement. During this time I helped faculty integrate service-learning and community engagement into their course design, and helped manage a multi-course project connecting university and high school students in Toledo. 

I worked to integrate conflict transformation into service-learning by providing workshops and training to  service-learning proponents. 

  • "Conflict Engagement in Service Learning Partnerships" Ohio Service Council's Forging New Links Conference. 2009

  • Service-Learning for Graduate/Teaching Assistants. University of Toledo, 2008

  • "Conflict Resolution and Service Learning Partnerships: An Initial Exploration.” Capstone Paper for Antioch University M.A. in Conflict Resolution.