Teaching Philosophy

Learning is a living exchange of ideas driven by intellectual curiosity and sustained critical preparation. It is not confined to any space or timeframe, and I have found that often the most powerful teaching and learning experiences occur when students construct a personal bridge between their classroom education and their first-hand encounter with the living works of culture. Whether deciphering with students the meaning of primary documents on the execution and dissection of a 23-year old infanticide in 1709, contextualizing an epic poem from 1530 on syphilis, discussing the impact of Cesare Beccaria’s revolutionary 1764 treatise against torture and capital punishment, having students act out scenes from Carlo Goldoni’s 1750 comedy “The Coffeehouse,” or unpacking Sciascia’s metaphysical detective novels, I strive to provide opportunities for that bridge building. I aim to assist and challenge my students to learn the fundamental content of my courses, to engage intellectually and personally with the material, to think critically, to enhance their interpretive skills, especially of written texts, to improve their ability to write effectively and eloquently whether on Italian literature, Enlightenment history, or the cultural history of medicine. My overarching goal is, however, to extend their sights beyond the purview of their own cultural and historical experience and not only change what they know, but how they make meaning.