Teaching Philosophy
As an instructor, my goal is to empower students to critically engage with the world through scientific evidence while encouraging them to explore the questions, interests, and goals that are meaningful to them. My teaching philosophy is drawn from my research on close relationships and social support processes. One key insight from this research is that people thrive when they feel their relationships are supportive and accepting. When people feel that others are there for them and appreciate them for who they are, it boosts their confidence and motivates them to pursue their goals. In the same way, I strive to cultivate a learning environment where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to challenge themselves and reach their full potential.
I center my teaching around two main principles: accessibility—creating a learning environment that is open, supportive, and responsive to students from diverse backgrounds, identities, and experiences—and responsiveness—adapting my approach based on students’ goals, feedback, and evolving needs. In my courses, I strive to achieve three key goals to foster a supportive learning environment: (a) creating opportunities for students to apply the course material to their own lives, (b) providing consistent guidance and support to ensure students feel heard and valued, and (c) actively inviting feedback so I can continuously improve the course and help students thrive.
Below, you’ll find a list of the courses I’ve taught or assisted with, along with some student feedback.
Feedback from Students
"Cora was really sweet and definitely helped a lot in any questions we had during lab. She walked around to make sure we were all on board with the coding we were doing! 10/10, hands down one of the best TA's I've had."
-- Fall 2022 Statistics Student
"I loved working with Cora. She is not only professional and knowledgable, but also always so kind and wants to help."
-- Spring 2023 Social Psychology Student
"Cora made an effort to adapt her plans for how the class was responding, and she showed that she really cared about how we were doing. She developed a good environment in the classroom and had a nice balance of structured lessons and small/full group discussion."
-- Winter 2023 Introduction to Psychology Student
"Very kind and helpful. Tried her best to give us answers with the information she had. Very passionate and created a friendly environment in class. Noticed when students were overwhelmed or stressed and offered support."
--Spring 2023 Social Psychology Student
"I thoroughly enjoyed having Cora as a TA this quarter. She provided information in an organized and clear way which made it easy to understand. She cleared up any confusion that we had from lectures and was good at motivating class discussions. I often left sections feeling more knowledgable on the subject.
-- Winter 2023 Introduction to Psychology Student
"Cora was a fantastic TA. She was supportive and understanding. She answered questions and gave very constructive feedback."
--Spring 2023 Social Psychology Student
Courses to be Taught as an Instructor of Record
Research Methods (PSY10A), Summer 2025, University of California, Santa Barbara
Close Relationships (PSY149), Summer 2025, University of California, Santa Barbara
Courses Taught as a Teaching Assistant
Courses TAed at University of California, Santa Barbara
Educational Psychology (PSY124), Summer 2024
Research Methods (PSY10A), Summer 2023
Statistics (PSY10B), Fall 2022 and Summer 2023
Laboratory in Social Psychology (PSY150L)
Introduction to Psychology (PSY1), Winter 2023
Courses TAed at Arizona State University
Emotions Science (PSY394), Spring 2022
The Human Event (HON171), Fall 2020
Sample Syllabus
You can view a sample syllabus for my research methods course here.