“As I teach, I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject, and our way of being together.”
― Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
― Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
Faculty Development
It is a privilege to work with passionate faculty to bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world application. It is my hope to creatively incorporate meaningful service-learning opportunities into any class at Emory & Henry College.
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Unique Classroom Facilitation
Rooted in the work of Paulo Friere and David Kolb, my teaching philosophy rests on the principle that each person in the classroom has the capacity and the responsibility to be both learner and teacher. To that end, we engage in hands-on co-teaching and learning that brings to life texts and discussions into real world settings. Below are a few videos that demonstrate the highly collaborative and experiential classroom environments I seek to facilitate.
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ePortfolios
ePortfolios provide a digital space for students to showcase, reflect upon, and provide evidence of their learning. As a pedagogical tool, I've seen the value of these portfolios time and again. Below are a couple examples of class and individual ePortfolios of students from Emory & Henry College:
- Emily Jones, a Civic Innovation and Environmental Studies student, developed a civic project in the fall of 2015 with Virginia Organizing Project, to help local citizens restore their right to vote. Explore the work she did.
- In spring 2015, students from two courses, Community Organizing and Intro. to Sociology, partnered with the town of Marion, VA to conduct community-based research on the possibilities and needs for a revitalized town-run senior center, which culminated in a student-led presentation to the city council. Check out the class ePortfolio on that project.
Sample Syllabi
To design a learning experience is tremendous work. To see learning and growth happen is invaluable. It is an honor to teach and one of the truest expressions of my values. Below are some examples of courses I have taught. I believe you will find experiential, reflective elements in my courses, intended to push students to think about and apply theories of community change to real-world situations.
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Teaching Evaluations
Below are a few qualitative evaluations from students enrolled in my courses:
- "This course does an awesome job at not only creating better students, but better citizens of the world. I've thoroughly enjoyed both the class & the instructor, as Travis does an excellent job at reaching all types of learners & trying to engage every single student in class discussion." - CVIN 200, Public Movements and Social Change, Spring 2016
- "This course, although intro level, felt like a seminar for my entire Emory & Henry experience. It gave a lot of meaning to the work I have done and will do in the future." - PPCS 100, Introduction to Public Policy and Community Service, Fall 2014
- "Travis is such a great professor for PPCS classes, as it is clear he is quite passionate about the material he is teaching. Also, the community service aspect to the course connects incredibly with the materials we read." - PPCS 100, Introduction to Public Policy and Community Service, Fall 2014