Teaching Principles

At Columbia, I taught for seven semesters in online, hybrid, and in-person classrooms.

Own courses:  

• Thinking Bodies: Literature, Film, Performance. Spring 2021, online

Language courses:

• Second-Year Russian. Fall 2020, online 
• Beginning Russian – Summer Intensive. Summer 2020, online
• Elementary Russian. Fall 2018-Spring 2019, in person. 
• Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian. Fall 2017-Spring 2018, hybrid.

My evidence-based teaching approach comes from hands-on training and educational programming at Columbia’s Center for Teaching and Learning, where I received the Advanced Teaching Certificate in 2021. 

I create meaningful learning experiences by supporting engagement with identities, academic backgrounds, skills, interests, and motivation. I help students discover the personal relevance of course learning goals through assignments like:

• Regular journaling to synthesize materials
• Asynchronous opportunities for unstructured discussion
• Self-reflective collaborative tasks
• Connecting content to current topics 
• Creative assessment formats

In my undergraduate seminar, Thinking Bodies, all students took the option to create multimedia projects instead of traditional essays. The creative format enhanced their understanding of core course topics and led to improved learning outcomes. Some of the projects are published on a dedicated course website. 

Guided by my belief in the transformative power of languages and the humanities, I set and deliver learning objectives that reach beyond course content, including: 

• Critical engagement with diverse ideas 
• Leadership and collaboration
• Creative thinking
• Communication
• Executive functioning
• Self-reflection
• Growth-oriented mindset

Genuine learning cannot take place unless every student feels welcome and supported. I aim to create inclusive environments through course design, in-class work, and holistic mentorship. 

• Multiple means of content representation, engagement, and expression.
• Guidance and mentorship tailored to individual needs and backgrounds.
• Collaboration with other support systems (Disabilities Office, Counseling, food bank, etc.).
• Focusing on progress over perfection in every aspect of the course.
• Proactively incorporating accessibility features like dyslexia-friendly fonts and captioning.
• Open and intentional classroom conversations about diversity, equity, and accessibility.

You can learn more about my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on a dedicated page.

Every student’s success depends on a thriving learning community. In addition to providing opportunities for active learning, a communication-based approach develops student agency and executive functions. I help students build a community through: 

• Frequent work in pairs and small groups.
• Assigning individual responsibilities in group assignments.
• Collaborative writing (synchronous and asynchronous).
• Intuitive collaboration and discussion software (Slack, Notion).
• Presenting myself as equal partner in the learning community by highlighting their contributions to my own understanding.
• Randomized breakout rooms or changing seating to help students get to know each other.
• Leaving the remote call open for the group to stay after class and socialize just as they would in a physical classroom.