Teaching

A classroom built on inclusivity, creativity, and adaptability

Teaching is an opportunity to inspire intellectual curiosity, instill critical thinking, and foster a deep appreciation for the complexity of the past and the complexities that lie ahead. Raymond builds his courses on three mutually reinforcing pillars: inclusivity, creativity, and adaptability, with the belief that teaching is not simply conveying facts, but a way to gain a fundamental understanding of the human experience and use those insights to navigate an ever-changing world.

Three pillars

Inclusivity

Courses are built around free or low-cost materials, with digital versions of all content kept permanently accessible. Multiple avenues for participation (in-class discussion, Canvas posts, collaborative notes, exit tickets) and multi-modal materials (images, music, video) support diverse learning styles, alongside readings and assignments that elevate the agency of historically marginalized peoples.

Creativity

Assignments draw on a range of media, from films and novels to TikToks, to expand how students engage with historical material. In "European Empires in Asia," for example, students traced the origins of dishes like chicken tikka masala to explore the long legacies of European imperialism. A semester-long project portfolio lets students build a connected sequence of assignments, such as a podcast paired with a story map, around a research topic of their choosing.

Adaptability

A "living syllabus" leaves room to incorporate contemporary events and respond to student interest as a course progresses. Class time is also devoted to transferable skills, including writing, oral presentation, and project management, so students leave with tools they can carry beyond the history classroom.

Signature practices

  • "Contract for B" grading, reducing high-stakes assessment pressure while rewarding quality work with higher grades
  • Comment-only feedback that poses questions rather than simply marking work incorrect
  • Project portfolios combining multiple formats (e.g., podcast + digital story map) around a single research topic
  • Collaborative digital tools, including Padlet and hypothes.is, for active in-class engagement

Courses taught

European Empires in Asia

Instructor of Record

Examines British, Dutch, and French imperialism across Asia, tracing how the movement of plants, agricultural knowledge, and ecological ideas shaped imperial systems.

Globalization: A Modern History

Instructor of Record / TA

Course description coming soon.