Teaching Portfolio
2020
Summary of Teaching Experience
I have a wide range of teaching experience in the classroom and online, from first to fourth year and master’s-level courses, and lecture and seminar courses. I have taught in departments of sociology, social work, women’s studies, political science, and labour studies. I have taught a range of courses, from topical to theory and social science methods, at all levels.
Teaching Philosophy & Methods
I take an innovative and flexible approach to teaching, adapting it to the needs of the department and individual students. In my supportive, student-centered teaching I view my role as a facilitator of collaborative learning rather than merely an expert who imparts knowledge. Thus, learning is a two-way process through which I learn from students and they learn from me.
My teaching approach is based on authentic learning and grounded in social equality. My students grapple with difficult social issues that require them to examine their own beliefs and values. I encourage them to break down these ideas, question how they have developed, search for factual information, and engage in respectful discussion with their peers. If biases against particular social groups arise during discussions, we break down these ideas to discover their origins and impact and test whether they hold true in light of facts and principles of equality. This helps students come to a deeper understanding of citizenship and individual responsibility for preserving the rights and freedoms of all groups in society.
In my classroom I foster a climate of equality and freedom to develop personal beliefs through a process of questioning and analysis and a search for information. My application of intersectional methodology in my research guides my teaching as I encourage students to analyze the experience of different groups of people and to propose alternatives to social and public policies, which is also a goal of my own research.
I use a blended learning approach to teaching, engaging my students through lectures, small and large group discussions, games, case studies, concept mapping, and technology. Thus my students work with key course concepts through a variety of modalities. At the beginning of each course I use a short diagnostic assessment assignment to identify strengths and gaps in my students’ knowledge base of core course concepts and skills.
To help students understand fundamental concepts and develop problem-solving strategies, I use problem-based case examples to break down and illustrate complex terms. To scaffold learning, I reintroduce concepts often to demonstrate how they build on each other. I encourage my students to critically analyze the readings and defend their point of view in reflection papers and in-class discussions, which also encourages them to improve their oral and written communication. To ensure active class participation, I offer a supportive classroom environment, as noted by a student evaluation: “I am often pretty shy in front of large groups of people, but Prof. Nichols made me feel comfortable participating during class.”
To excite my students’ interest and provide illustrations for course concepts, I bring in contemporary issues from the media and my own research and ask them to analyze these issues. I assess students on their daily engagement, oral communication, and written work. In their writing assignments, originality and critical thinking along with a clear structure and argument are essential in my assessment. I also require students to submit outlines as part of the writing process. To support students’ efforts toward these goals, I offer liberal help during my office hours. A student noted in his evaluation, “Professor Nichols offered multiple times to give extra feedback on assignments or look over rough copies of assignments before the due date.”
Sample List of Courses Taught
Undergraduate
- Women, Gender, and Work
- Discovering Feminist Research
- Doing Feminist Research
- Sociology of Gender
- Sociology of Work
- Work, Equity and Diversity
- Woman, Sexuality and the Welfare State
Graduate
- Social Policy and Activism
- Social Inequality, Poverty, Income Support: A Comparative Perspective
- Research 1