My teaching practice and philosophy is based on three concepts: (1) Create opportunities for student engagement for all learning styles in every class session; (2) Insert democratic processes whenever possible; and (3) Light a fire rather than fill a bucket.

Students who engage in classroom material -- who relate content to past knowledge, identify confusing material, and contemplate personal reactions to content – are more likely to remember and make sense of that material. Thus, I create class sessions that enable students to engage using multiple learning styles. 

Democratizing the classroom entails providing students with voice and power to direct their own learning. While I create the bounds of the class experience, I actively take the pulse of students throughout the semester, adjusting teaching methods and assignments to improve the learning experience.

Finally, I want students to leave my courses more informed, yes, but also motivated and empowered to act. There is no way that in 15 weeks I can convey every concept that is relevant to the course topic, and I don’t think I should try. Rather, I work to identify the core facts and ideas that are foundational to what I want students to know, and then to know why they are important to the world outside of the classroom. If I can do that, I will have done by job well.

University of Southern Maine:

ESP 101 – Environmental Science & Sustainability, USM

ESP 102 – Fundamentals of Environmental Science Laboratory, USM

ESP 200 – Environmental Planning, USM

ESP 203 - Environmental Communication

ESP 220 – Introduction to Environmental Policy, USM

ESP 280 – Research and Analytical Methods, USM

ESP 308 – Global Environmental Problems & Sustainability, USM

ESP 375 – Environmental Risk Assessment and Management, USM

ESP 400 – Internship, USM

ESP 401 - Environmental Impact Assessment (capstone)

ESP 420 – Natural Resource Policy, USM

ESP 475 - Hot Stuff: Climate & Action, USM (co-taught)

University of New Hampshire:

SUST 401 – Surveying Sustainability, UNH

SUST 501 – Sustainability Methods & Perspectives, UNH

SUST 750 – Sustainability Capstone, UNH

IAG 408 – Foundations for Living Sustainably in New England, UNH