Teaching
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy centers on the importance of structured, incremental learning and creating an inclusive environment that empowers students from diverse backgrounds. Drawing from my experiences as a queer, first-generation student with a learning disability, I emphasize the value of scaffolding techniques to build students’ confidence and understanding gradually. My approach is also shaped by my practical experience as a teaching assistant and my commitment to innovation, ensuring that all students have the support and opportunities they need to succeed.
Click here for my full teaching statement. See below for an overview of the courses I have taught independently or been a teaching assistant, along with student reviews and an example lecture on nuclear weapons.
Instructor of Record
POL 237 - Modern Weapons and International Relations, Summer 2021/22 (Online)
See the bottom of this page for one of my many videos for POL-237.
Anonymous reviews from students regarding my teaching:
- “Great communication and fair, clear feedback on assignments”
- “Loved this class, Prof. Kunkel was a great instructor, I especially loved the format of the class and transparency from the start about what to expect. I hope they continue to lay out and stick to a schedule in the syllabus so well, it made it very easy to succeed as a student”
- “Sky has done a great job with organizing this course. I found the videos extremely informative and easy to follow, yet also containing key information. I also appreciated that there was more than one medium to get the information from, be it audio recordings, videos (which I preferred), or the script from that week. I would hope that they continue to do everything they have already done, and that you guys give them a raise, because they deserve it”
Teaching Assistant
POL 501 - Political Science Methodology
- 2022 (F)
POL 605 - Advanced Causal Inference
- 2022 (Sp), 2023 (Sp)
POL 237 - Modern Weapons and International Relations
- 2019 (F), 2020 (Sp, Su, F), 2021 (Sp, F), 2023 (Sp.)
POL 130 - Introduction to International Relations
- 2022 (Sp, F)