I came to Anthropology late in my undergraduate career. My undergraduate major was multi-disciplinary because as a humanities field major, I took courses in art history, French, French history, psychology, folklore, and anthropology. It was not until I took my first cultural Anthropology course that I realized I could apply everything I had learned from these other disciplines. Anthropology is amazing for its broad application but also for its attention to cultural sensitivity. This applies not just generally to the world, but specifically to the classroom itself. The same class can never be taught in exactly the same way as the semester before. It is my belief that one has to constantly evaluate and adjust her teaching skills given that the class dynamic may be different, current events may be especially applicable, or perhaps new research interests carry the course in a different direction. I have learned that careful planning and preparation are essential however there are times when I must adapt.
Essential to Anthropology is that students gain an appreciation for both the complexity and the relevance of other cultures. My particular area of interest is Hungarian and American Culture. Though Hungary is a small country, the knowledge learned from a post socialist society has broad applications in the areas of globalization, social change, urban studies, migration, stratification, culture and power, and constructions of identity, and gender. Typically, I draw course materials from a broad range of different societies including the United States. I highlight how unique and different our own society can be in an attempt to show how we can “normalize” unusual practices. In this way I hope students learn not to exoticize other cultures. Furthermore, I hope they learn to look at their own society in a new and different light.
I consistently try to improve and update my courses and teaching skills. I attend IT workshops to improve technical skills, such as Blackboard, Web design, photoshop. I participate in workshops to improve teaching techniques such as The Summer Institute Training Workshop, Cititraining, and a STEP workshop in Michigan. I have attended several writing across the curriculum workshops and am worked with a writing fellow (Jake Cohen). I was trained in a Safe Zone Workshop. I also took the workshop on Teaching Portfolios. This Fall 2016 I am applying for the Spring 2017 Open Educational Resources (OER) Fellowship to learn how to transition from using a standard textbook to open educational resources.
Teaching Anthropology juggles developing fieldwork skills, cultural sensitivity, theories, and inquisitive minds. Anthropology is much more than information memorized for an exam, as students should leave an anthropology course with an improved understanding of cultures other than their own. They should learn to question the taken-for-granted. I try to show by explanation and by cross-cultural examples, how Anthropologists pose, research, and analyze questions about different cultural practices. The fundamental skill in anthropology, however, is the practice of fieldwork. Learning to understand what is fieldwork and then how to analyze one’s own research is both exciting and challenging. I include case studies, ethnographies, and some theoretical application in teaching at all levels. I create writing and discussion assignments that develop the students’ ability to apply anthropological concepts to their own fieldwork experiences. I use scaffolding techniques to help students write in my writing intensive courses. By learning to take a new look at their own cultural environments and communities, students develop a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. I am so enthusiastic about the field of anthropology and there is so much I want to teach my students that there are times I need to step back and slow down. There is the temptation to teach “everything,” however at some point there is only so much a student can absorb. While it is important to push students to do the best they can, it is equally important that they are able to learn what you have taught and not be overwhelmed. I have learned to use more visual aids and to break down the material in more digestible portions. I want them to feel they have learned something important that they can use in their future pursuits.
