Liberatory Education

 In order to change the world, you have to begin to imagine it differently, and for a lot of young people, part of seeing themselves in that narrative of social change, begins with that process of imagination -- Rogelio Lopez         

Pedagogy

Like bell hooks, I understand education as a process of transformative learning wherein teachers and students engage in meaningful interactions that supports their critical growth. The learning process is reciprocal - we learn from each other. Key life events (teenage mother, incarcerated juvenile, first-generation college graduate and nontraditional Ph.D., and  urban upbringing in Los Angeles) informs my pedagogy around social justice education and approach to teaching and mentoring. As education and the ways that knowledge is constantly evolving, I am committed to consistently seeking self improvement. Learning new skills and techniques that will enable me to be an effective, successful teacher.

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Teaching

My ability to support and connect with students' starts with providing them the opportunity to learn in rich and meaningful ways that empowers them to see the strengths of their own abilities. My ability to facilitate active learning involves a range of informal and interactive assignments that support students’ learning styles and meaningful interactions in the classroom community. My ability to explain real world applications in educational settings is rooted in an understanding that we learn better when we see how a skill or knowledge can be used in different situations in our personal lives, careers, and to solve complex social problems. As a justice-oriented scholar, its imperative that I center contemporary social issues to help my students engender justice-minded worldviews.

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Testimonial

The social engagement component of Dr. Ferguson’s course allowed me to take a closer look at the social issues and has inspired me to pursue many opportunities in social activism. - Roshni Patel

Mentoring

My social responsibility to my students outside the classroom is informed by a philosophy of paying it forward. I was surrounded by many brilliant, funny, and down-to-earth educators who supported my intellectual, personal, and emotional growth. I have leveraged my experiences, knowledge, and resources to 1) create opportunities for co-working experiences and collaborations, 2) orient students to campus and community resources to build up their social and cultural capital, 3) find concrete ways to demonstrate an empathetic view to their challenges, and 4) create safe spaces to learn about each other’s intersectional experiences and shared interests.

Testimonial

I won a merit scholarship from the College of Arts and Humanities, which I would never had gotten the opportunity to receive if I had not been in Dr. Ferguson's class. She has been a great mentor and supporter in my college education, and I am thankful to have had her.  

- Daisy Yu