Miguel Giron

Teaching Philosophy

The primary goal in my teaching is to provide students with a sense of social consciousness.
I define social consciousness as the awareness of racial, political, cultural, and gendered practices
that represent much of our daily lives. I teach this through history because it provides a student
with the critical thinking skills to further analyze why a subject in the historical record is placed
within their given situation. In addition, a profound sense of social consciousness also makes
history real and relatable especially when we can connect historical inquiries to long lasting
ramifications into the future. Many students come into a history classroom with negative hang-ups
about the subject and lack a social awareness about the world that they live in. This makes my
pedagogy deeply political and, in many cases, troubles may arise when liberal leanings are
recognized as a threat in the classroom. My pedagogical choices will discomfort students, but I
recognize that this discomfort most of the time leads to meaningful discussions. Granted, this
teaching style must constantly remain dynamic as a classroom varies by place and scholarly
climate. Teaching social consciousness also bring history alive in many contexts. I propose that in
the study of history, and in my own experiences through historical scholarship, the underlying
success of the profession lies at the end of creating waves within the rigid formations of traditional
history. Students recognize this and are interested in such debates rather than a cookie cutter
version of history.
My pedagogy is deeply rooted first as a person of color and second as a professor of history.
I recognize that my position in the classroom will be constantly met with multiple reactions within
the perceivability of race and power structures. As such, I engage in pedagogy that deconstructs
notions of the “culture of power,” an unspoken set of rules within academia that follow common
assumptions in a white middle-class dichotomy. In other words, the “culture of power” assumes
that all students have followed a linear path to the university and that they will all be able to learn
in a “traditional” college classroom. As the demographics among college campuses change, a
teacher needs to be aware of meaningful ways in which we engage students that have not
participated in the “culture of power.” As teachers, I believe that we need to be more engaged with
pedagogical techniques as much as the ways in which we teach our material. In doing so, my own
teaching will follow three pillars. First, I will recognize and engage with students at a more
nuanced and personal level. This breaks down common assumptions about what my position of
power within the context of a classroom will be. Second, my assignments, readings, and lectures
serve to inform and give students meaningful conversations rather than a “deposit of information”
for them to later recall on an exam. As I stated earlier, my purpose as a teacher is primarily to
instill a profound sense of social consciousness. Classroom merit only shows that a student can
gather facts and regurgitate information. I want to make this regurgitation of information
meaningful in much more ways than a grade on a transcript. Finally, I use writing as a main system
to create skills that will transcend past my classroom. Writing is much more than a scholarly skill.
It is also the basis of many fundamental frameworks of self-identity and realizations about one’s
own realities. Through writing, many students find that academic life becomes easier and they can
express themselves in more meaningful ways.
Teaching history is not only learning about the past but also reflecting and telling the
stories for those who have been traditionally left out of the historical record. I hope that my students
leave my classroom capable of telling such stories to bring attention to historical and contemporary
injustices. Whether they become historians or encounter situations where a deeper social
awareness suits their needs, history as a basis of critical thinking skills is valuable in developing
informed citizens in our current political climate.