Teaching Philosophy
I view teaching as an act of social justice and an inequality equaliser. From prior research, we know that classrooms are innately unequal spaces because students bring differential cultural capital and knowledge with them. A central goal of my teaching, therefore, is to give students an equal foundation in the types of knowledge and skills they need to be successful after they leave college. I believe that all types of knowledge are equally valuable and I, therefore, promote exchanging knowledge between students by not assigning status or value to knowledge by socio-economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. My pedagogical framework of teaching as an act of social justice and an equaliser encompasses four elements: content, instruction, classroom dynamic, and mentoring. My goal is to create a safe classroom environment by building student solidarity. Building solidarity and bonds in a classroom result in students feeling safe and trust that they can speak freely.
Student Testimonials
"Professor Bjerre fostered a tremendous classroom environment where everyone was comfortable to participate." |
"The lectures were great because she created an open environment for us all to talk." |
"Professor Bjerre had the unique ability to interact with her students as if she was one of them. She showed a great understanding for not only the course material, but also of those she was teaching it to. This made it easy to relate to both the course concepts and to one another. She also provided personal feedback to each one of our writing assignments in which she acknowledged our strengths and pointed out where improvements could be made. This balance between praise and critique, along with her strong belief in her students, compelled me to want to do better."
Teaching Experience |
Race, Sport, and Inequality: Course Description |
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Instructor
University of Notre Dame - Race, Sport, and Inequality (Undergraduate) 2020 Teaching Assistant - Inner City America (Undergraduate) 2020 - Understanding Societies (Undergraduate) 2019 - Understanding Societies (Undergraduate), 2018 Guest Lecturer University of Notre Dame - Introduction to Sociology (Undergraduate) 2022 - Understanding Societies (Undergraduate) 2019 - Race and Ethnicity (Undergraduate) 2018 Ohio State University - Sociology of Poverty (Undergraduate) 2021 |
From Muhammad Ali’s conscientious objection to the Vietnam War draft to Colin Kaepernick taking a knee for police brutality, sport continues to serve as a major platform for social discourse. In many ways, the world of sports is a microcosm of society - an arena through which we can understand more about our society’s dynamics, values, and problems. Because sports are an integral part of social life, they offer an important lens to study social inequality, race, gender, and sexuality. The overarching theme of the course is to understand the complex, interconnected relationship between sports and social inequality. The predominant focus is on the United States and North America but with some international comparisons or examples. This class will introduce students to critical perspectives on racial, gender, and sexuality dynamics in society and the sport industry with a primary focus on the athlete.
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