Jeremy Freed – Teaching Philosophy

Networked Knowledge

I approach teaching from two perspectives. First, I recognize that as humans we understand the world by making connections to our existing knowledge and frames. When students have limited frames, they need guidance to help adapt to seeing things from a new perspective. Sometimes connections are not always obvious or the interconnecting tissue between concepts is difficult to discern. Second, I also recognize that creating an inclusive classroom environment demands recognizing and accepting the inherent humanity of both my students and myself. 

Articulated Connections

As a teacher, I view my role as a network technician. My primary objective is to help students to connect information nodes together in meaningful ways and recognize, drawing on Stuart Hall, the various articulations that shape our ontological understanding of the world. Teaching happens when instructors guide students to that “aha” moment when multiple information nodes connect, such as when students realize that McLuhan’s ‘the medium is the message’ shifts focus away from trying to find hidden meanings in content and instead examine how the medium of the message is itself a critical part of communication. To achieve this objective, I use multiple instruction methods and mediums to provide as many possible avenues for connection and learning as possible. I select content that is directly relevant to both the desired course outcomes and to students’ lived experiences. For example, when discussing sustainability I might use examples from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to push students to consider difficult inductive reasoning used to rationalize actions. I find it critical to also tie contemporary culture and political movements to historical trajectories to help students make connections beyond our immediate historical moment. Above all, however, I listen to my students and pay attention to their needs. LIfe has a nasty tendency to throw complex challenges and obstacles in our paths. I firmly believe that exercising empathy is critical to helping students achieve their potential.

Encouraging Room for Thought

My goals as a teacher are to help students challenge themselves to consider how they form positions on issues, show them how to locate reliable information to help them defend their positions, and encourage them to question structures of power. When students understand why they are learning a concept and how the learning process works, they are more likely to retain and apply that concept. I aim for students to be able to apply concepts and ideas in ethical, engaged ways that will aid them in becoming thoughtful and humane individuals in society. Our society has increasingly become tribal and polarized in concerning ways and I hope to help my students build resilience and engage in multiple perspectives to help navigate our broader tribal and polarized sociopolitical climate.

A Commitment to Success

To achieve these goals, I apply a multi-faceted practical approach to designing courses. I firmly believe in transparency and work hard to ensure that the purpose, instructions, and criteria are all clear to students at the outset of my courses. I provide grading rubrics intended both to provide students with transparent expectations of outcomes, but also to encourage creative thinking, including accepting creative assignment submissions. Furthermore, I strive to provide space for students to drive discussions, voice their positionalities, and engage each other in respectful dialogues. I frame questions to avoid one-word answers to encourage critical thought. I challenge my students to take their answers one step further, to clarify, elaborate, or expand and relate back to their lives. Frequently, I try to provide examples of successful work, either by providing samples from previous courses, or by modeling. In each of these ways, I aim to facilitate the success of all members of my classroom community. 

Continuous Improvement

In order to improve the learning experience for my students, I continuously seek to improve my pedagogical skills. I welcome feedback, including outside observations. I take course evaluation feedback seriously and rework parts of syllabi accordingly. Further, I seek professional development opportunities, including workshops, and pedagogical courses, to draw on the experiences and expertise of others. As an ethnographer, reflexivity is critical to my scholarship and I try and apply the same standards to my teaching. Most critically, I continually look for ways to provide more opportunities for my students to engage in the coursework and with each other.