TEACHING
Teaching Philosophy & Praxis
M. Jacqui Alexander (2006) writes, “Thinking justice, teaching for justice, and living justice means that we continually challenge each other to enunciate our vision of justice” (p. 116). My teaching seeks to expand students’ capacity to enunciate, and then enact, justice in their work. In the courses I have co-taught, I partnered with the instructors of record to substantially revise the syllabi to include a justice-oriented teaching statement, amend the course’s scope and sequence to better scaffold assignments and student learning objectives, and add readings featuring critical scholarship written by People of Color. My dedication to teaching was recognized by the university when I was named the 2020 and 2021 USC Rossier PhD Teaching Assistant of the Year, as well as the recipient of the university 2022 Outstanding Student Teaching Assistant Award, the highest honor for graduate student teaching at USC.
Upcoming Courses
Fall 2024 | ELPA 881: Ideas of the University
This graduate seminar interrogates the intersections of neoliberal ideology and racial capitalism in U.S. higher education institutions. Through readings, class discussions, and scaffolded writing assignments, students will examine how neoliberal policies and practices perpetuate systemic inequity and shape knowledge production, and collectively imagine alternative frameworks to engender a more liberatory system of higher education.
Previous Courses
Instructor, EDUC 591: Diversity: Diversity: Power, Equity, & Inclusion (University of Southern California, Learning, Design, and Technology Program Master’s Program, Online)
Co-Instructor, EDUC 650: Ways of Seeing: Applying Social Science and Critical Theories in Education (University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy Ph.D. Program, Los Angeles, CA)
Co-Instructor, EDUC 651: Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Educational Research (University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy Ph.D. Program, Los Angeles, CA)
Co-Instructor, EDUE 571: Research Methods and Applied Educational Ethnography (University of Southern California, Postsecondary Admin and Student Affairs Master’s Program, Los Angeles, CA)
Testimonials
From my students at USC…
Aireale Rodgers is a natural teacher. She consistently encourages her students to critically engage with course content, while expertly scaffolding the learning when appropriate. Her feedback is not only detailed, meaningful, and constructive, but is also provided in a way that uplifts students and helps them embody the brilliance she unequivocally believes that they possess. I am truly a better writer, researcher, and scholar because I had the privilege of being taught by Aireale.
One of Aireale’s best strengths is her ability to use theory in methods in ways that validate student experiences. She utilizes theories like Black feminist thought, and multiple indigenous ways of knowing to center the experiences of minoritized groups in class disussions, as opposed to simply highlighting their experiences. Also, she is great at caring for students holistically, using music, poetry, meditations, and reflection activities to engage with students in nurturing ways
Having Aireale as my instructor during the first two years of my PhD program played a vital role in my development as a graduate student and researcher. In addition to the knowledge on the course topics she shared, her feedback on my writing and research ideas helped me develop skills that I carried over to other courses and into my own out-of-class work. Despite her students having very different research interests, she always found a way to point us in the right direction in regards to theory and literature in our specific concentrations so that we could develop better questions and more compelling arguments. Aireale was not just a teaching assistant, but a co-instructor. She took the responsibility of leading class with admirable authority, which demonstrated both her knowledge in what she was teaching and her confidence in her ability to teach. She set a high bar for teaching assistants and instructors, and I hope to one day reach her level of expertise.
Aireale has continuously embodied a praxis rooted in love, liberation, and deep communal care. She carefully crafted a learning environment that was both challenging and rewarding. The grounding activities that she would begin class with illustrated her care for the holistic well-being of students. Aireale was steadfast in being accessible to students as we engaged in the challenging practice of critiquing our social world and institutions while also attempting to build anew. I’m forever grateful that our paths crossed.
From previous co-instructors…
In my thirty years as an educator, Aireale stands out as a stellar colleague. Her intricate knowledge of material, profound commitment to students, and innovation in teaching pedagogy are inspirational to her peers and deeply appreciated by her students.
Aireale’s abilities, skills, and expertise to fuse teaching new pedagogies and ideas from learning sciences into the design and execution of teaching activities inspired me and impacted our course design for our second-year PhD students. She authentically cares and is invested in teaching as a practice, and ensuring that doctoral students in the classroom learn and grow from the curriculum and thoughtfully designed activities to reinforce learning qualitative research methods.