My goal as a teacher is to help students develop diverse ways of thinking and reflect on their beliefs, attitudes, and actions by teaching marginalized literature and underrecognized thought. I aim to improve students' ability to think critically, make them aware of conceptual and historical constructs, and feel emancipated. To achieve my teaching goals, I will use decolonial and feminist approaches. For example, I may begin with Marshall Hodgson's “In the center of the map” from Rethinking World History and then read selections from Samir Amin's Eurocentrism and Linda Tuhiwai Smith's Decolonizing Methodologies.
My course ‘Feminist Thought from the Majority World’ focuses on the relationship between colonialism, capitalism, globalization, patriarchy, and territory in postcolonial societies. It examines how these societies' epistemologies serve as sites for decolonial methodologies and transformative politics. My ‘Political Authority and Legitimacy in Islamic Political Thought’ course consists of a critical examination of various accounts regarding legitimate leadership.
My course ‘Feminist Thought from the Majority World’ focuses on the relationship between colonialism, capitalism, globalization, patriarchy, and territory in postcolonial societies. It examines how these societies' epistemologies serve as sites for decolonial methodologies and transformative politics. My ‘Political Authority and Legitimacy in Islamic Political Thought’ course consists of a critical examination of various accounts regarding legitimate leadership.
To counter the view of fundamental differences underlying the “clash of civilizations” thesis, my course ‘Continuity in Intellectual History’ shows the diverse forms of contact among different groups in Asia, Africa, and Europe and how they all participated in the construction and transmission of knowledge. Students will read some passages from Al-Muqaddima by Ibn Khaldūn (d. 1406 CE) about the acquisition and translation of Greek, Persian, and Indian scientific and philosophical works to Arabic and the translation of works from Arabic to Latin. They will also virtually visit the Vatican Museums and begin to explore what The School of Athens by Raphael (painted between 1508 and 1511) and the figure of Ibn Rushd/Averroes (d. 1198 CE) represent.
In class, I will use a Punctuated Lecture teaching strategy and various active learning techniques to encourage student participation, discussion, and reflection. For example, I will use the Background Knowledge Probe to uncover students' preconceptions about a specific topic. In this Misconception Check, I will provide a list of statements, and students choose whether they agree or disagree with each one using Mentimeter interactive software.
Course readings and assignments will enhance student academic and communication skills and promote collaborative learning. For example, in a small-group assignment in the ‘Continuity in Intellectual History’ course, students will choose a particular text and create a presentation of networks and flow of knowledge using digital tools, such as Gephi. In all courses, I will use feedback models from emerging trends in pedagogy, such as the Plus/Delta periodical evaluation, to monitor student learning and level of engagement.
Knowledge construction and intellectual growth require a safe, supportive, and respectful environment. My responsibility is to create a space of openness and diverse viewpoints without prejudice or assumptions. This climate, according to students' reviews, I was able to achieve in class. In addition, I do not categorize students under the guise of acknowledging their differences but instead see the layered identities and diverse backgrounds of all students while being mindful of historical and current discrimination against minoritized and disadvantaged groups.
In conclusion, my teaching emphasizes that human beings are thinking creatures, and that scientific and philosophical inquiry is a natural part of being human, not limited to any one group. Students leave my courses with an understanding of constructed categories and histories, along with the skills to diversify their sources and examine topics from multiple scholarly perspectives, using their minds to assess information independently.
In class, I will use a Punctuated Lecture teaching strategy and various active learning techniques to encourage student participation, discussion, and reflection. For example, I will use the Background Knowledge Probe to uncover students' preconceptions about a specific topic. In this Misconception Check, I will provide a list of statements, and students choose whether they agree or disagree with each one using Mentimeter interactive software.
Course readings and assignments will enhance student academic and communication skills and promote collaborative learning. For example, in a small-group assignment in the ‘Continuity in Intellectual History’ course, students will choose a particular text and create a presentation of networks and flow of knowledge using digital tools, such as Gephi. In all courses, I will use feedback models from emerging trends in pedagogy, such as the Plus/Delta periodical evaluation, to monitor student learning and level of engagement.
Knowledge construction and intellectual growth require a safe, supportive, and respectful environment. My responsibility is to create a space of openness and diverse viewpoints without prejudice or assumptions. This climate, according to students' reviews, I was able to achieve in class. In addition, I do not categorize students under the guise of acknowledging their differences but instead see the layered identities and diverse backgrounds of all students while being mindful of historical and current discrimination against minoritized and disadvantaged groups.
In conclusion, my teaching emphasizes that human beings are thinking creatures, and that scientific and philosophical inquiry is a natural part of being human, not limited to any one group. Students leave my courses with an understanding of constructed categories and histories, along with the skills to diversify their sources and examine topics from multiple scholarly perspectives, using their minds to assess information independently.
