TEACHING
As a teacher of philosophy, I regard myself as a cross between a gym coach and a travel guide.
Like the coach, I want to impart skills students can employ beyond the bounds of my classroom. This is done through exercise: we entertain counterfactuals, weigh reasons, evaluate counterarguments, and so on. Like the guide, I want to transport others into unfamiliar regions. I do not regard this as a distinct role. Getting a grip on distant philosophical projects involves wrangling with the problems and commitments that gave rise to them. Whether or not students ultimately recognize themselves in these prior projects, they exercise skills enabling them to better reflect upon their present commitments.
My teaching style emphasizes three kinds of learning: active-, multisensory-, and meta-learning:
ACTIVE LEARNING
We learn best by doing. The same holds true for philosophy. To this end, I tailor my lectures toward one aim: making a problem or question vivid. Then, students can grapple with the problem themselves and thereby practice their critical reasoning skills.
MULTISENSORY LEARNING
It is often easier to learn, when we can engage with, and be engaged by, the content in more than one way. I use audio-visual media (both original and borrowed) in order to help students engage with otherwise abstract material.
META-LEARNING
I strive to make philosophy more accessible by incorporating 'meta-learning' moments into the standard curriculum. For example, I provide a strategy guide to help students navigate the difficulties of reading historical works of philosophy.
