Dalen

Monday through Friday 4pm to 10 pm Central Standard Time, Tuesday/ Thursday 10 am -2 pm Central Standard Time, Saturday 10am-6 pm Central Standard Time

My teaching philosophy is straightforward but has proven effective in action. It relies on meeting the students where they are. By that I mean designing courses which allow for the maximum amount of diverse student buy-in and learning flexibility. Because I have had the experience of feeling socially and academically isolated, I always prepare my courses with that in mind. I also recognize that even small successes may have an outsized impact on a student’s learning and life as it did with me. Engaging with students as co-learners and knowledge producers means sometimes throwing out the older artisan model of teaching where students copy information straight from the source. Instead, I ask that the students come to my courses with an open mind, a willingness to participate, and the grace to be incorrect.

I have a PhD in Anthropology and History from the University of Michigan,a Masters in Cultural Sustainability from Goucher College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Northland College.

I have served as a tutor during my undergraduate education, my graduate education, and within the community that I spent years researching and writing about. Additionally I have assisted my nephew with his educational needs throughout his life. In my regular job as a professor I also "tutor" students in their higher education journey and as their adviser for their theses and course work.