Teaching Philosophy

Few academic disciplines have the global scope and depth of anthropology. These attributes form the basis of my approach to the complexities of socio-cultural, political, and economic globalization. I strongly believe that anthropology offers great insights to understand and look for solutions to current social problems such as poverty, economic and ethnic marginalization, under-development and environmental degradation, among many others. I strive to create a classroom environment where students feel safe and comfortable to share their opinions, respect divergent viewpoints and foster critical thinking. I believe that a dynamic classroom environment must be student-centered but should revolve around a mutual interaction between the instructor and the students. In other words, the flow of information and ideas does not begin with a knowledgeable instructor and ends with a passive audience of eager students but goes in multiple directions depending on the level of interaction and engagement with the class material. For this very reason, I combine various pedagogical strategies such as lectures, oral presentations, small group discussions, debates, and role playing. In addition, I show documentaries, invite guest speakers and coordinate field trips as integral components of my courses.

In sum, my teaching philosophy is based on the following principles: 1) learning is a dynamic, multi-directional process with the students at the center of the interaction; 2) faculty must be flexible and accommodating to the various learning styles and levels of knowledge of the students that we teach; 3) courses must be developed to provide students with opportunities for engagement and critical reflection and 4) knowledge about a given subject matter must be applied to real-life situations.

Courses that I generally teach:

ANT 106 - Cultural Anthropology

ANT 225 - Contemporary Puerto Rican Culture and Society

ANT 240 - Latinos in the United States

ANT 250 - Economies and Cultures 

ANT 301 - Anthropological Theory

ANT 337 - Urban Anthropology

ANT 400 - Anthropology Seminar