Research

I am currently working on two papers, one in English and the other in French:

• Terro(i)rism: From Plots of Land to Terror Plots

• Liberté, égalité, fragilité : La promesse républicaine face aux divisions identitaires

My approach to teaching involves facilitating classroom discussion by asking questions and encouraging students to interact with one another in small groups. This typically follows the lecture and is organized through worksheets that guide students in further processing and integrating lesson materials.
Having first taught as an ESL instructor, I gained an appreciation for this method of teaching. The 80-20 principle, whereby students do more speaking than the instructor does, I have found, is just as effective in a subject-matter classroom as in a language-learning environment. My observations regarding this practice are that students have a greater appreciation for the subject and master it more thoroughly.
Additionally, I strive to maintain a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. Such an environment is one where all students feel safe and welcome. To implement this, I establish with my students that we all be mindful of one another’s differences and respectfully acknowledge them.
My students also know that they are free to gently remind me if I make an error in addressing them by their preferred names or pronouns. I am in the process of learning, and mistakes happen. Because I humanize myself and demonstrate my willingness to learn from them, the professor-student relationship is more palatable for everyone.

Teaching Philosophy