Summary
I have a somewhat unconventional teaching background that includes high school, community college, and university-level introductory and upper-division instruction, both in-person and online. I have also been a teaching assistant for several graduate-level research methods and statistics courses. This makes me a flexible and creative instructor; however, there is one central philosophy guiding my approach to teaching across a wide variety of subjects, formats, and levels: my primary objectives as an instructor is to make the substantive material personally relevant to my students, and to help my students develop lifelong skills. To that end, I help students connect personally to substantive course material by building in options for students to dig deepest into topics they find most interesting, and then sharing insights with the class. I also strive to equip students with strong writing and analytical skills, as well as structured opportunities to provide and received constructive criticism, which will serve them in both academic and professional settings. Here is what some of my former students have said about my classes, in their own words:
Social Movements & Activism
“This online course was amazing. They are usually hit or miss for me but I definitely enjoyed the way this one was structured and I liked it more than all of my in-person courses this semester.”
“This course was one of the most interesting courses I’ve taken and definitely the best online course!”
Introduction to Sociology
“First gen ed that I have really enjoyed. And Misty is wonderful and really cares-you can tell even though it’s online.”
“I hated the idea of taking this class but at the end I was grateful for proving myself wrong. I think Misty had a lot to do with this, she discuss readings and is open to questions.”