Teaching Philosophy
As an educator, my primary goal is to cultivate an engaging and inclusive learning environment that fosters critical thinking, curiosity, and a passion for lifelong learning. I believe in the transformative power of education and its ability to empower individuals to reach their full potential. My personal philosophy on instructing growth can be summarized with the five words of loyalty, cooperation, leadership, industry, and love.
1. Loyalty:
I adopt a sense of support, responsibility, and commitment to many of my actions and goals in my life. Not only do I have a sense of loyalty to my students, co-workers, and course objectives, but I also hope to instill a sense of loyalty in my students. Showing them the importance of showing up to class, putting in the work, and completing their responsibilities to the course and themselves. Hopefully, instilling a sense of commitment, that through dedicated practice, helps them accomplish their goals.
2. Cooperation:
Cooperation is really about working together and saying, "How can we accomplish these tasks?" Sometimes, students ask me, "What's the most valuable tool? What should I learn? Should it be Unity? Unreal? Photoshop?" etc etc, and I'll answer by saying, "Your most valuable tool is your team. Being able to work cooperatively with others to accomplish a task is essential."
3. Leadership:
Leadership doesn't necessarily mean barking out orders. Sometimes it means acting as an example, taking the time to check in with your team, and making sure that everything is falling into place. I work to act exemplary and encourage my students to act similarly.
4. Industry:
No, not like preparing students for industry, while that is certainly a goal, I speak of the second definition that deals with hard work and producing things. I believe that making things and getting our hands dirty with field experience is important. I like to structure my classes with small guided exercises, that build into medium homeworks, and finally culminating in open-ended creative projects, where they can showcase mastery of the skills and theory they have studied throughout the course.
5. Love:
Lastly, I highlight love. When there is mention of love, we may think a romantic Valentine's Day full of "Chocolates, roses, and kisses", but here I do not refer to romantic love. More like love from a maternal standpoint. Taking care of your team, of your product, ensuring a nice space for growth. If you're a gardener or have ever taken care of a pet, then you may know what I'm talking about here. The love and care aspect, like maybe the fraternal or the fraternity definition of love.
In summary, my teaching philosophy revolves around key characteristics that I view as being essential to an exemplary human being. I believe the characteristics of loyalty, cooperation, leadership, industry, and love help us to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be. I am forever excited about the opportunity to contribute to the intellectual and personal growth of the students for whom I mentor and to inspire a love for learning that extends beyond the classroom.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts
In my teaching, I view diversity, equity, and inclusion not as separate initiatives, but as foundational elements of effective education. My goal is to create learning environments where all students—regardless of background, prior experience, or confidence level—feel supported, challenged, and empowered to succeed. This is especially important in computing disciplines, where students often enter with widely varying levels of preparation and self-efficacy.
One of the primary ways I support diverse learners is through intentional course design that emphasizes accessibility and scaffolding. In my programming and interactive media courses at Rochester Institute of Technology, I work with students ranging from complete beginners to those with prior experience. To address this, I structure assignments in layered ways, allowing all students to engage with core concepts while providing opportunities for deeper exploration. I present these as “bonus” or “side quests” and that frame really resonated with the game development students. This ensures that all students understand the basics of the core exercise, while still being appropriately challenged with creative opportunities to go above and beyond.
I also emphasize project-based learning as a means of creating inclusive and engaging experiences. Throughout the semester, smaller exercises build into a larger, more open-ended final project. By allowing students to apply technical concepts through these creative, open-ended projects, I provide multiple entry points for engagement and encourage students to connect coursework to their own interests. This approach increases motivation while supporting a broader range of learning styles and perspectives within the classroom.
Creating an inclusive classroom culture is equally important. I work to foster an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, and learning collaboratively. I reinforce that we are all human and that confusion and iteration are natural parts of the learning process, helping reduce anxiety and build confidence, particularly for students who may feel intimidated by computing subjects.
I also view community-building as an essential component of inclusive education. Beyond the classroom, I contribute to a supportive academic environment through mentorship and engagement. I have advised graduate students on capstone projects, helping them navigate both technical challenges and collaborative dynamics. I also participate in and help organize informal activities such as social board game nights, game jams, and department events, which provide low-pressure opportunities for students to connect with peers and faculty. These efforts help cultivate a sense of belonging that supports student engagement and success.
In addition, I approach inclusion as an ongoing, iterative process informed by student feedback. Each semester, I collect input on what aspects of the course supported learning and where challenges remained. I use this feedback to make intentional adjustments. For example, I have incorporated recorded lecture backups for students who may miss class, introduced dedicated in-class “studio” time for hands-on support, and balanced individual and group assignments to accommodate different learning preferences. These changes help ensure that my courses continue to evolve in ways that increase accessibility and flexibility.
I also integrate emerging technologies in ways that are accessible and empowering. In a recent “2D Animation and Asset Production” course that I taught, students used AI image generation to create animation assets, then manually adjusted them into a sprite sheet, which they then integrated into a simple programming project. This exercise combined foundational programming with creative workflows and positioned AI as a tool that enhances—rather than replaces—technical and artistic skills. By framing new technologies in this way, I help students build confidence in engaging with rapidly evolving tools.
Beyond the classroom, I remain committed to ongoing reflection and growth in my teaching practices. I actively seek feedback and refine my courses to better support diverse learning needs, while recognizing that many students balance academic work with external responsibilities. I strive to design courses that are both rigorous and flexible enough to support these realities.
Ultimately, my approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion is grounded in the belief that all students deserve access to meaningful, high-quality educational experiences. By designing accessible coursework, fostering an inclusive classroom and community, and integrating relevant, engaging content, I aim to support students in developing technical skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging in the field of computing.
Teaching Materials
Selected syllabi, assignments, lecture slides, and demos will be added here over time. Materials may include downloadable PDFs, GitHub repositories, and playable browser-based examples.
Student Mentorship & Projects
I regularly mentor student projects and group work, emphasizing collaboration, communication, and real-world development workflows. Many projects culminate in playable prototypes or public showcases.