Teaching Philosophy

I see teaching, mentoring and research as integrally intertwined and I am committed to sharing my passion for the study of Mexican and Central American families in the classroom. In my teaching, I use my own research with Latinx immigrant youth to better understand the challenges immigrant youth face in school, at home and at work. I pride myself as a compassionate and enthusiastic instructor. I teach my courses with a strong comparative orientation that focuses on major themes such as working-class experiences, politics, race, and gender relations.

My teaching philosophy is centered on the belief that learning is a group process.  While I engage students individually, I also encourage them to confront and debate course topics in small groups after which they develop their ideas in larger class discussions. This allows the students to learn from each other. As a result, the classroom becomes a source of social capital and support to all students.  I also believe that my students have the potential to change lives beyond the confines of the university.  For this reason, I bridge the university with local community organizations that help provide a space for my students where they can become agents of change.

I am the proud recipient of the “Innovation in Teaching Award” from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change for teaching an immigration class that uses art as a tool to engage students and the community in discussions concerning immigrants and immigration. I was also honored with the “Outstanding Mentor Award” by graduate students in the Center for Global Health at ASU. My teaching techniques and practices have been featured at various ASU Now and State Press articles. You can find the full articles by clicking on the “Media” tab above.