I am of the utmost belief that students learn best when appropriate motivators and learning environments are available to them. This necessitates creating a warm and welcoming environment where students feel comfortable taking intellectual risks and actively participating in their learning. To cultivate this environment, my pedagogy focuses on constructing knowledge that utilizes my student’s existing understandings. By effectively integrating prior knowledge with new concepts, lessons transform from passive information absorption to embodied knowledge that students can utilize throughout their development.

I view learning as a shared pursuit between myself and my students. While I possess expertise in my subject matter, I also approach the classroom as a lifelong learner. I want my students to understand that I value their perspectives, experiences, and existing knowledge as much as the information I present. 

To establish this collaborative atmosphere, I prioritize relationship building by acknowledging and utilizing the knowledge students bring to the classroom. I regularly begin class with an "essential question” that sparks discussion and activates prior knowledge. This primes students to make connections between their existing understanding and upcoming material. Throughout the class, I frequently utilize small group discussions echoing Vygotsky's social constructivism theory of learning where meaning is constructed through social interactions. These discussions allow students to collaboratively build knowledge with their peers before reporting back to me and the larger group on the interesting insights that they learned and shared. This process describes one of a collection of scaffolded learning experiences that I think are crucial for allowing students to experiment with new concepts in a low-stakes environment before any kind of formal assessment.

Beyond discussions, I utilize a variety of assessment methods, including projects with a complete/incomplete grading scheme. This approach allows for specific and constructive feedback on student work. I emphasize that initial attempts at new skills are for feedback only, not grades, as students need opportunities to practice before formal assessment. Furthermore, I offer students unlimited opportunities to improve their work or correct "incomplete" assignments based on the feedback provided. This experience highlights the importance of continuous adaptation. These systems have yielded both positive results and a number of challenges that I hope to engage the other fellows of the program with toward refinement of various alternative assessment tools. 

I look forward to having an opportunity to engage deeply with my teaching practices with the members of the Searle Fellows program and to bring insights back to my classroom.

This year, I implemented a fully “ungraded” approach in one of my classes as part of a teaching fellows project, and I used the opportunity to formally assess the results. One of the most positive outcomes was how it changed my relationship with students and their relationship to the course. I found that without the pressure of points and percentages, students appeared likely to be open with me about what they were trying to achieve, what they were struggling with, and what they needed to succeed. The ungraded structure also encouraged a more reflective classroom culture: students used informal check-ins before and after class to share questions, articulate goals, and ask for clarity. Rather than treating assignments as tasks to fulfill requirements, many students began to treat them as tools to grow their skillset.

At the same time, the lack of formal grade markers presented new challenges. Some students found the looser structure difficult to navigate, and without the usual external cues, a few fell behind. In one case, I gave a student a passing grade despite significant struggles, because the absence of regular feedback through grades may have limited their awareness of how they were progressing. While most of the course feedback was overwhelmingly positive, one student felt unsure about how their final grade had been determined — which reminded me that transparency and clarity remain essential even in an ungraded system.

These experiences have helped me see the importance of setting clearer expectations, especially in labor-based and self-reflective classrooms. Although I rarely give grades lower than a B-, this is partly because of the type of students I teach — many of whom are high-achieving — and partly because the structure of the course allows students to revise and iterate their work until it meets expectations. Still, I recognize that I need to continue developing grading and feedback practices that better reflect a wider range of student experiences, particularly for those who might need more direct support in pacing or project development.

Above all, the shift to ungrading has helped me better incorporate structured reflection into my classes — something I’ve often struggled to do within the constraints of the ten-week quarter system. Moving forward, I plan to deepen my use of reflective practices, encouraging students to self-evaluate their work more regularly, and helping them set personalized goals for their development. I’ll continue to seek a balance between freedom and structure, offering the support that students need while fostering the autonomy that helps them grow.

In short, my updated teaching philosophy continues to view the classroom as a collaborative, student-centered space. I see my role not just as a source of knowledge, but as a co-learner and facilitator — someone who helps students make meaning from their experiences and construct knowledge that is lasting, relevant, and transformative.