Teaching Philosophy

As a social work professor, I aim to help students develop the knowledge and tools to enter the workforce as independent and professional agents. Social workers do not just enter the field as good-hearted people ready to “help.” They are society’s future policy makers, counselors, nonprofit leaders, and activists, and it is my job to ensure that they are ready to fulfill these difficult roles. In teaching social work classes, I hope to get my students to see beyond “social workers as helpful” and instead imbue them with the knowledge that social workers have a responsibility to work collaboratively with individuals, groups, communities, and organizations, and to have the confidence and ability to work towards changing laws that they think are unjust or inhumane.

See below for an example of courses I have taught at Oakland University and the University of Chicago. Please contact me for copies of syllabi.

Oakland University (BSW Program):

SW 2301 (Intro to Social Work)

SW 3302 (Social Welfare Policies)

SW 3905 (Human Trafficking Policy)

SW 4203 (Social Work Practice II)

 University of Chicago:

Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice

SSA 46712 (Organizational Theory and Analysis)

SSA 48500 (Data for Policy Analysis and Management)

Masters of Arts Program in the Social Sciences

MAPSS 30000 (Perspectives in Social Science Analysis)