Teaching and Learning Philosophy

Photo by Z. Jones

I am a science educator and instructional designer with over a decade of experience designing inclusive, inquiry-based learning experiences for diverse and neurodiverse students. I currently teach international middle and high school learners through Dreaming Spires Home Learning and recently completed my Master of Science in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology. As I prepare to apply to EdD programs, this philosophy represents the core values and commitments that guide my teaching and design practice.

My journey into education began with a question: how and why do people change their minds? I entered graduate school to understand the mechanisms behind learning, not just acquiring knowledge, but transforming understanding. While I could not articulate it at the time, I was searching for how intersubjective constructs are formed and how they can be reshaped through education.

At the heart of my teaching and design philosophy is the belief that education is the most powerful tool we have to address inequality. My own growth has come through deep reflection and the necessity to shift my perspectives in order to truly understand those I love. This experience taught me that transformative learning does not occur through memorization or compliance, but through connection, courage, and critical thought.

Education, for me, is not about static knowledge but about dynamic becoming. I view learning as a deeply creative process. Early in my graduate studies, I came to reject the limiting idea that creativity is reserved only for extraordinary individuals or “Big C” accomplishments. Drawing on theories like mini-c and little-c creativity (Beghetto & Kaufman, 2013), I see creativity as embedded in everyday life, social interactions, and even personal transformation. As Ingold (2014) writes, “We are creating ourselves endlessly.” This framing allows me, and my students, to embrace creative problem-solving as a normal, expected part of learning.

In my courses, especially with perfectionist or anxious learners, I intentionally invite failure and iteration. I may ask for “wrong answers only” in brainstorm sessions or allow students to replace a written response with a concept drawing, audio response or another creative expression of understanding. . These low-stakes, divergent thinking strategies allow students to contribute ideas without fear, and they frequently uncover deeper understanding than a conventional quiz might. This playful, safe approach lays the groundwork for metacognition, resilience, and cognitive flexibility.

Our learners are shaped by intersecting layers of socialization, family, culture, institutions. By the time they reach us, they have already been placed, knowingly or not, into roles defined by structures of power. Dominant groups benefit from these systems without always recognizing their existence; target groups live within their constraints. As educators, we must create spaces where these dynamics are visible, challengeable, and changeable.

To do this, I believe in teaching that is rigorous, recursive, relational, and rich. These “Four Rs” move us beyond static facts into a learning process that is contextual, personal, and transformative. They support students in deeply exploring content while building the cognitive flexibility, empathy, and critical consciousness necessary for engaged citizenship in a diverse and rapidly evolving world.

I also emphasize the integration of critical and creative thinking, two sides of the same coin. We need the divergence of creative problem-finding and the convergence of reflective decision-making. These skills equip students not only to analyze the world but to change it. By helping students understand their thinking through metacognition, and by encouraging multiple ways of approaching a problem, we foster innovation and agency.

As I pursue EdD study, my focus remains on learner-centered design, equity-driven pedagogy, and technology as a tool for personalized transformation. The long game of systemic change requires consistency, reflection, and collective effort. But in small steps, equity boards, inclusive curricula, student-led initiatives, I see signs of hope. And I choose hope.

“Hope is a practice. Hope is a philosophy of living. In this world, it is easy to feel hopeless, that nothing will change. But we can choose differently…”
— Mariame Kaba