teaching

My teaching brings feminist, care-centered, and justice-oriented approaches to the study of communication, media, and digital platforms. Across courses, I focus on helping students develop critical, analytical, and communicative capacities while situating media and technology within broader questions of power, identity, and social responsibility. I teach across communication, media studies, and gender studies, with an emphasis on digital culture, popular media, public speaking, and interpersonal communication. My classrooms are structured to support both intellectual rigor and accessibility, encouraging students to engage complex ideas while developing practical skills in writing, speaking, and critical analysis.

Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is shaped by bell hooks’s articulation of the classroom as a space where our “capacity to generate excitement is deeply affected by our interest in one another, in hearing one another’s voices, and in recognizing one another’s presence” (Teaching to Transgress). This perspective informs my commitment to facilitation, dialogue, and collective learning. I approach teaching as a collaborative and evolving practice that emphasizes student agency, clarity of expectations, and transparent assessment. Rather than treating learning as a one-way transfer of knowledge, I design courses that invite students to question, analyze, and produce knowledge through discussion, applied projects, and reflective work. At the core of my pedagogy is the belief that access to education is a matter of justice, and that inclusive, adaptable course design is essential for meaningful learning across diverse institutional contexts.

Courses Taught
University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College
Department of English & Communication

Introduction to Communication Studies
Introduction to Effective Public Speaking
Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
Introduction to Media Literacy
Business Communication

University of Cincinnati
School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies

Effective Public Speaking
Introduction to Mass Communication
Communication and Popular Culture
Business Communication
Introduction to Cooperative Education

Center for Exploratory Studies

Discovering UC (First-Year Experience)

University of Illinois Chicago
Department of Gender & Women’s Studies

Gender in Everyday Life

Department of Communication

Fundamentals of Human Communication
Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

Loyola University Chicago
School of Communication

Social Justice and Communication
Communication, Language, and Gender

Northern Kentucky University
Department of Communication

Public Speaking

Gateway Community and Technical College
Department of Communication

Interpersonal Communication

Selected Student Feedback
Rather than presenting exhaustive testimonials, the excerpts below highlight consistent themes in student experiences across institutions and course modalities.

Classroom Climate and Engagement

“Professor Stein created one of the best class atmospheres in my college career. It was a safe space that was simultaneously academically stimulating.”
“She made the class feel motivating and eager to learn. I always looked forward to coming to class.”

Instructional Clarity and Learning Support

“The rubrics were well laid out and made expectations very clear. I always knew what I needed to do to succeed.”
“She explained how to organize speeches in a way that finally made everything click for me. I now use that structure in other courses.”

Communication and Accessibility

“She was extremely responsive and always made sure students felt supported, whether online or in person.”
“She was very accommodating with life and technical issues and communicated expectations clearly.”

Personal and Academic Growth

“This class helped build my confidence and taught me skills I will use in future classes and job interviews.”
“I became a much stronger public speaker because of this class.”

Teaching in Context
I have taught across research universities, regional campuses, and community colleges, as well as in online, hybrid, and in-person formats. This range has shaped my approach to course design, assessment, and accessibility, allowing me to adapt pedagogy to different institutional missions while maintaining consistent intellectual rigor. Across roles, my teaching reflects the same commitments that guide my research: attention to power, care, visibility, and participation in contemporary media and communication systems.