My advising philosophy was inspired many years ago by noted scholar bell hooks’ Teaching to Transgress, in which she affirms teaching as a sacred vocation. I consider advising as teaching and believe that “To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin.” (hooks, p. 13)

I have also been influenced by Parker Palmer’s book The Courage to Teach, in which he writes about teachers teaching from the heart—the place where intellect, emotion, and spirit converge—and cultivating in their students a “capacity for connectedness,” a quality good teachers themselves possess.

In my advising practice, this translates to taking time to get to know students, discovering what they care about, and helping them connect what truly matters to them in their choice of courses, majors and minors, international studies, and extracurricular activities. If there are opportunities to interact with students outside the FYS advising session, such as having coffee at Starbucks or watching them perform in a play, I try to make time to do so. My advising philosophy has not changed much over the years, but I am open to trying new innovations in teaching and learning, especially ones that help me put my philosophy to better practice.