Teaching Philosophy

As a Brazilian educator, I was first trained in critical pedagogy, following the precepts of Paulo Freire. For Freire, the classroom was a decisive political environment, in which learning even the most basic content involved building on students' interests to invite them to critically assess the world, thereby capacitating them to enact political autonomy. Inspired by Freire, I have developed an integrated approach to student learning, using creative assignments to train critical thinking. Using scaffolding assignments, I build an arc throughout the semester that begins with creative experimentation with core concepts and culminates in an expressive final project that draws directly on students' interests and autonomy.  ​

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These teaching strategies enact my commitment to education as a political gesture, making the day-to-day practices political content of the courses. By building on prior knowledge to foster autonomy and creativity, the courses demonstrate to students that they are fundamental political entities, able to create and nurture their political values in the world they inhabit.