Fall 2025, Spring 2025, and Spring 2024 at Smith College
Fall 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2018 at Wesleyan University
Spring 2026 and Fall 2023 at Smith College
Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019 at Wesleyan University
Fall 2020
Two of the most important skills in economics are the ability to simplify complex processes into clear component parts that still reflect the essential features of those processes, and the ability to think rigorously about everything from data to models to implicit assumptions and biases.
I want my students to understand why we approach certain questions in the ways that we do. Moreover, I want them to be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a particular approach. Students should understand how various models get solved rather than simply focusing on end results. This requires students to understand how ideas relate to each other--a higher level of mastery--and requires me to structure questions and model answers to make those connections clear.
“What do we mean when we say ___________?” This question is a constant refrain in my teaching. Sometimes this question pushes us into conceptual thinking, developing precise definitions. Other times it pushes us to develop mathematical or graphical models to capture a theoretical mechanism. Still other times this question pushes us to clarify our assumptions or delve into data and statistics. In every case, the goal is to start from what we know—what we’ve observed or experienced in the world, what we’ve learned in prior classes, etc.—and develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the world. My approach to teaching economics emphasizes problem solving, real-world applications, and student agency. I particularly value (and thus emphasize) the ability to simplify complex processes into clear component parts that still reflect the essential features of those processes.
When I teach economics, I want my students to understand why we approach certain questions in the ways that we do. Moreover, I want students to grasp and articulate the assumptions behind a given model. Students should understand how various models are solved rather than simply focusing on end results. This requires students to understand how ideas relate to each other---a higher level of mastery---and requires me to structure questions and model answers to make those connections clear.
I try to ask questions that force students to decide which tool is appropriate and combine multiple concepts, especially in problem sets. For instance, when teaching macro I make sure to ask not just what happens in the short run and the long run, but the chain of events from the initial shock to the long-run equilibrium (at whatever level of detail is appropriate to the level of the course), and to identify what forces make the long run different from the short run. This helps students build a coherent framework, strengthens their problem-solving skills, and increases their retention.
I try to make sure students have some idea how the economics we study in class applies to the real world. Many students appreciate the integration between class material and current events. I firmly believe that one cannot fully understand a concept unless one understands how to apply it in real-world situations. I have noticed that talking about real-world applications helps engage students from diverse backgrounds.
One way I try to bring applications into my classroom is by including data analysis problems in intermediate macro. I ask students to replicate the original Cobb-Douglas paper (fitting the Cobb-Douglas production function using early 20th century data). Several weeks later, I ask students to estimate Okun’s law for the post-WWII United States. These exercises help make students more aware of data transformations (and the difference between levels and growth rates). They also help reinforce data skills and give students more ownership over the material.
In intermediate macro, I now split my final between a traditional final exam and a policy memo. For the policy memos, each student picks a different OECD country (outside of the US) to research and write on. The student must then use the conceptual frameworks taught in the course to analyze and explain the country’s experience of a global macroeconomic episode (in recent semesters, the global inflation over 2022-2024). These memos make assessment more holistic: exams emphasize mathematical precision, while the memos emphasize conceptual mastery. I’ve found that both types of assignments provide valuable feedback about students’ learning. These memos also provide an opportunity for students to exercise choice (they pick which country they will write on), which increases their investment in the assignment. Students frequently pick countries where they plan to study abroad or that use a language they speak.
Good teaching is all about achieving balance: challenging students without overwhelming them, supporting students while encouraging growth and independence, giving students meaningful choices while ensuring they master core material. I emphasize student agency because students learn more and work harder when they have meaningful choices and feel ownership over their learning. I also emphasize precision (in both mathematics and words), problem solving, and real-world applications because these skills are crucial to mastering economics and because they are students will take these skills with them into their future pursuits, whether academic or professional. The skills students build in my classes are at least as important as the material they learn.