I provide instruction and mentoring for both undergraduate and graduate students. As an educator, I seek to promote an optimal learning environment that is collaborative and welcoming of my students’ individual learning needs and identities. Specifically, my teaching approach is guided by three principles: (a) creating a welcoming and caring environment; (b) creating high expectations while assessing my students’ developmental needs; and (c) approaching learning as a continuous process through active and experiential means. I value getting to know my students’ individual needs in order to create an environment where they will be able to thrive academically. I successfully do this through formal assignments and by engaging in classroom activities and discussions that take a critical lens at social justice issues. In addition, I understand that my students have different experiences and needs and, therefore, I strive to create a teaching environment that is a balance between support and rigor. Most importantly, in my interactions with students I engage in culturally mindful practices. These practices include being intentional in syllabi development, selecting reading materials, and developing assessments. I believe that it is crucial to attend to power dynamics in order to create a space where my students and I can co-create a culture of anti-oppression by critically examining each other’s views. Furthermore, I believe that learning is an active process. I engage my students in active learning by sharing with them current research and local, national, and world events that highlight current classroom topics. I instill in my students the importance of assessing for one’s biases, engaging in critical introspection, and ways in which they can use their positionalities to both challenge and affirm those they interact with.