My teaching has two goals. First, I work to equip students to understand the world by helping them develop valuable skills like writing, presentation, close reading and statistical thinking through critical engagement with political science. Second, I want to help students understand how social science is relevant to their lives and interest in politics. Attaining these goals helps prepare students to thrive in their communities and workplaces. To facilitate broad and deep student engagement with difficult or abstract concepts, I first motivate learning with big questions and relevant examples. I then help students meet clear, challenging and attainable learning objectives with accessible examples, hands-on activities, supporting materials and careful organization.