Diversity Statement

After my undergraduate studies, I went to France to teach English in a small village outside of Bordeaux. Since then, I have taught in several different countries (Hong Kong and Italy); in higher education, I have taught at many different institutions with diverse student populations. My teaching experiences have informed me of the necessity to foster openness and acceptance in my classrooms. 

My time in Hong Kong, for example, taught me how to connect and champion community. While in Hong Kong, I was a visiting tutor at Lingnan University. I coordinated service learning programs with non-profits. Service learning courses are academic courses that integrate community projects, usually as a course final project. I managed relationships with the literature and philosophy professors, non-profit organizations, and students, helping each of these parties to navigate the service learning projects. The students provided a range of services through the non-profit organizations and their impact on communities was powerful. 

However, facilitating the connections for these parties was a challenging experience for me: I was a non-native Hong Konger and an outsider, and yet I was a liaison to each of these parties. It was often difficult to communicate with the non-profits, as I did not speak Cantonese or Mandarin. Moreover, many of my students in the service learning programs were international students. As such, while guiding them through the program, I also helped them to navigate the new environment and culture of Hong Kong. I learned, through empathy, how to find bridges in communication. Managing these service learning program deepened my understanding strength in community and the contributions that I can make to foster community.

When I returned to the States, I volunteered as a tutor at the Cambridge Public Library, teaching English as a second language. I worked with students in their twenties and students well into their eighties. I worked with students with low-level English skills and students with advanced level English skills. I worked with students who would only be in the States for a month or two, and individuals who had been living in the States for years but had low-level English literacy skills. I had students from Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Japan, Haiti, Eritrea, Cape Verde, Italy, and so on. I had all of these students in the same class. Using what I had learned in Hong Kong, I created a community that appreciated these differences.

Now, as an adjunct professor, I teach at a range of institutions and to diverse populations of students. I have taught a spectrum of students: high achieving individuals to students struggling to overcome socio-economic challenges, students of color and/or LGBTQ backgrounds, and students with learning accommodations. The diversity of my teaching experience has refined my skills in curriculum development and my ability to teach to a broad audience.

For instance, from semester to semester, I have noticed a trend wherein our students are becoming more anxious and overwhelmed. My teaching has made me more cognizant of the needs that our students have today; I champion students who struggle with mental illness and/or learning differences, providing them with the attention, patience, and flexibility to do their best. I devise classes that meet the needs of the students by structuring classes with multiple learning modalities and accessible tools for learning. For example, I have become more efficient and effective in teaching the importance of peer review through the platform, Eli Review. Since my first semester employing Eli Review to support peer reviewing, I’ve noticed a drastic improvement in how my students think about peer review and self-critique. Particularly in this period of COVID-19 and virtual learning, I have taken special care to apply universal design approaches to my curricula and teaching. With so many issues with connectivity and accessibility, I let my students know that I trust them, and adjust to their needs. In this time of chaos, I emphasize to my students how clear communication is so essential.  

I approach diversity in the classroom through empathy. I create an environment where students feel heard and safe to explore their ideas and abilities. As one student wrote to me:

I show empathy toward my students through fairness and kindness, which they model in their behavior to their peers. Communication bridges individuals, and through these connections, I create in my classes an open and honest community.