Any radical pedagogy must insist that everyone’s presence is acknowledged. That insistence cannot be simply stated. It has to be demonstrated through pedagogical practices. To begin, the professor must genuinely value everyone’s presence. - bell hooks

Teaching Philosophy: Education is a powerful tool for intellectual and social resistance, challenging dominant ideologies and dismantling systemic inequalities. Inspired by Paulo Freire and Henry Giroux, my teaching philosophy is grounded in critical pedagogy, which positions the classroom as a space for activism. In this framework, teaching is not neutral but a political act that empowers students to question societal structures and critically engage with issues of race, power, and privilege (hooks, 1994). At the same time, I center my approach on creating inclusive environments where students feel supported and encouraged to take ownership of their learning. Drawing on Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978), I aim to bridge the gap between what pre-service professionals (or students in general) can do independently and what they can achieve with thoughtful guidance. These guiding principles shape my commitment to fostering reflection, personal growth, and critical engagement in every learning environment I create.

Statistics Teaching Philosophy: My teaching philosophy regarding quantitative methods closely aligns with Castillo and Strunk’s (2024) work on QuantCrit. I will teach complex statistical concepts with a critical lens as if it is not some special method but more of a consistent approach, with conversations set up in the classroom that are not just based on math and statistics but ideology and social institutions. My teaching strives to dismantle whiteness in the classroom and not perpetuate it by instructing and discussing the history of statistics using a critical lens. Grounded in the tenets of QuantCrit, my teaching emphasizes the importance of engaging with one’s positionality and understanding that numbers are neither neutral nor definitive truths—they are tools shaped by context and purpose. I challenge students to consider alternatives to traditional quantitative methods that often center on whiteness (e.g., reliance on White reference groups). Instead, I encourage the exploration of approaches that decenter whiteness, such as non-parametric methods, person-centered analyses, within-group differences, and methodologies that prioritize smaller sample sizes. My teaching underscores the centrality of racism as a structural assumption and advocates for methods that directly measure and address race and racism, fostering a more equitable approach to quantitative inquiry.

EXPERIENCE