Teaching Statement

I believe the purpose of teaching and learning is transformational, the pursuit of freedom. As an instructor, I seek to build a student-centered emancipatory classroom by prioritizing community-building, engaging students in inquiry, and promoting critical thinking and dialogue among students. I am equipped to instruct teacher preparation courses that address topics related to secondary education, adult education, urban education, multilingual/multicultural education, TESOL, English Language Arts, and issues in children’s and adolescent literature. Holding a valid Michigan professional teaching certification in secondary English and Sociology with an endorsement in K-12 ESL and having taught in diverse, urban bi/multilingual secondary, adult, and university school settings, I have the practical experience and knowledge to guide pre-service teachers toward liberatory education. 

Teaching Goals

  • Community

    Community building, inside the classroom and across the community, is a humanizing way to honor and to learn from my students’ linguistic and cultural funds of knowledge. I seek to build meaningful relationships with community partners to enhance student learning and to connect students to resources they might otherwise overlook. When I stepped back into the classroom after working as a literacy coalition director and community organizer for several years, I realized how isolated schools and teachers can be from the community. Because of that experience, I am passionate about community-engaged teaching, learning, and research.

  • Education

    I am a co-learner and a facilitator. Therefore, I engage my students in inquiry practices that shift power dynamics in the classroom. What I find is that when students take up inquiry practices such as these, they tend to engage in deeper text-based discussions and are often inspired to try out critical literacy practices that lead to social change.

  • Dialogue

    If I can create a classroom where students engage in critical dialogue among themselves and within the community, then I have done my job. My goal is to center my students’ voices in the courses I teach. Overall, I believe that when students are empowered to engage in critical dialogue, they can collectively engage in social transformation.

Courses Taught

Michigan State University

Graduate Courses

TE 801/803: Professional Roles and Teaching Practice

  • This year-long master’s level course is a workshop/seminar that concentrates on the problems of practice that pre-service secondary teachers encounter during the internship year.

TE 843: Secondary Reading Assessment and Instruction

  • This online asynchronous master’s level course examines the policies, standards, concepts, and materials of adolescent literacy, and considers the relationship between these ideas and disciplinary content.

Undergraduate Courses

TE 448: Issues of Diversity in Children’s and Adolescent Literature

  • The purpose of this undergraduate course is to read and discuss diverse children’s and adolescent literature alongside the themes of a single story, privilege/oppression, identity, insider/outsider, and stereotyping.

TE 348: Reading/Responding to Children’s and Adolescent Literature

  • This undergraduate course promotes literary understanding and explores the ways in which our attitudes, beliefs, and experiences shape our interaction and engagement with literature.

TE 494: Field Experience in Teacher Education (TESOL)

  • This hybrid undergraduate course fulfills Michigan State’s Standard for ESL Endorsement 5.1. Language Teaching Practicum. Students are presented with opportunities to develop a personal theory of teaching in multilingual settings, and they focus on pedagogical principles of language development, issues of assessment and the role of pedagogical choices concerning language instruction in the education of emergent bilinguals (EBs).

Student Evaluations

Student-centered Approach

  • “She really really valued community building and fostered a supportive community. She was very understanding of the challenges of the internship. I felt comfortable approaching her, knowing that she respected and valued me.” (MSU, TE 803, Spring 2022)

  • “Thank you Lindsay for being so flexible and supportive this semester. You truly were our champion.” (MSU, TE 494, Spring 2020)

  • “She was understanding and asked the class for feedback mid way through the semester which meant a lot to me because she even accommodated some of what the students suggested. The class evolved into an environment of learning and growth - and personal growth as we all became like a community in that classroom.” (MSU, TE 348, Fall 2018)

  • “Lindsay was a very supportive asset to our classroom community. She encouraged us to collaborate with one another and view certain texts in a more in-depth way. This course exposed me to a diverse range of children's literature.” (MSU, TE 348, SPRING 2020)

  • “There was so much healthy discussion on heavy topics. That was 100% the most important part of this course. I have not had any classes that encouraged opinions and beliefs to be voiced, and debates encouraged like this.” (MSU, TE 348, Spring 2019)

Rigorous Engagement with the Content

  • “Her use of class time was unique and fostered a deeper understanding of the material. She implemented discussion, online forum posts, individual and group presentations, readings, videos, and so many more forms of media and teaching.” (MSU, TE 348, Fall 2018)

  • “Her experiences with education reflect in her teaching, and she makes me feel so welcome and comfortable. I have never had a professor be so kind and genuine.” (MSU, TE 448, Spring 2022)

  • “I feel like I learned a tremendous amount about teaching emergent bilinguals this semester.” (MSU, TE 494, Summer 2020)

Transitioning to Online Courses

  • “She was very supportive during the transition to online courses and I felt that I could always go to her with anything- academic or personal. I really enjoyed her class. I learned a lot through her methods of teaching.” (MSU, TE 348, Spring 2020)

  • “I think that this course could be done online again the future if it is designed like Lindsay taught this semester because the class meetings were always engaging and we were still able to work with classmates by using breakout rooms on zoom.” (MSU, TE 494, Summer 2020)

  • “Lindsay was a wonderful instructor. I loved her presence on Zoom because she always set the tone for a professional, yet also relaxed and supported environment.” (MSU, TE 494, Fall 2020)

Emphasizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

  • “Lindsay has been one of my favorite instructors at MSU! She is such an awesome advocate for marginalized groups and helped us become one too. An amazing instructor and person overall! I would recommend her 100%.” (MSU, TE 448, spring 2022)

  • “I loved this course. It involved a lot of reading, which I normally do not like, but my instructor made the reading so much more interesting. There were so many discussions that were very inclusive and helpful. I loved this course and my instructor did a great job. She made everyone feel welcome and comfortable to talk. It was a great course!” (MSU, TE 348, Spring 2021)

  • “Focusing on recent/current literature is important. The books represented different groups and peoples, which was amazing.” (MSU, TE 348, Spring 2019)

Authentic Curriculum Design

  • “It is the first class where we had the opportunity to turn in built curriculum/lesson plans. The Jamboards were also meaningful and low maintenance.” (MSU, TE 843, Summer 2022)

  • “Lindsay is one of my favorite instructors of all time and goes above and beyond for her students. Her courses are engaging and relevant to the real world and our lives as future educators. She clearly cares about her students and wants us to be successful.” (MSU, TE 448, Fall 2021)

  • “She went above and beyond to support not only my understanding of the course assignments, but also my future endeavors as we were able to connect with one another on the topics of teaching abroad and PhD programs. I hope to keep in contact with Lindsay in the future as she helped me feel validated in my prospective professional plans which is incredibly valuable, especially for future educators.” (MSU, TE 494, Fall 2020)

Meaningful Feedback and Clear Expectations

  • “I really like how personalized her feedback was on everything and it made me feel like she really cared about our learning and making sure we were successful in the course.” (MSU, TE 494, Summer 2020)

  • “This course was well organized and focused on many topics without being overwhelming. The instructor made sure in the beginning of the course that the students were aware of what they were getting themselves into.” (MSU, TE 348, Fall 2019)

  • “She is so patient and is willing to work with you if something did not go right. very flexible with the class and is observant with what we do because she gives great feedbacks on our work. (MSU, TE 494, Fall 2021)

  • The instructor was easily accessible and gave timely feedback on weekly assignments.” (MSU, TE 843, Summer 2021)