Di Knapping
Giving a flint knapping demo for World of the Ancient Maya taught by Shanti Morell-Hart. Photo courtesy S. Morell-Hart

Teaching Philosophy Summary

My overarching pedagogical ethos is to prepare students to be exemplary citizens of the world through mastering critical thinking, developing practical skills, and learning how to collaborate with each other to co-create knowledge. I am heavily influenced by Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. I believe that my pedagogy should be uplifting and worldview-changing to people from all walks of life, so that they can recognize they are all part of the same community and better the world together. Most importantly, I strive to show students what they are learning in class is relevant to their contemporary hopes, frustrations, and anxieties. My training has been in the social sciences, and I view myself primarily as an archaeologist who engages with larger social science debates and methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative. I also have a more humanistic component with my training in cultural anthropology and history. I teach my students from this broad base, exposing them not only to the subfields of anthropology, but also to history, political science, and sociology. I teach them the different approaches to the same phenomenon or data that the different social science fields take, so that they become comfortable with recognizing differing epistemologies. To aid students in transition from the “one true narrative” style of learning from their high schools to college-level critical reasoning, my pedagogical philosophy emphasizes not just what we know, but how we know. I also make them aware of different ways of knowing the world that are not grounded in the social and physical sciences, exposing them to diverse ontologies such as Quechua materiality and North American Indigenous understandings of history.

I do not view assessments as a way of measuring intrinsic skill, but as a way of helping students gain enthusiasm for learning and improve in their critical thinking and practical skills, which helps them in their other coursework and in life. I always offer preliminary feedback and a provisional grade to those who submit their written or creative assignments early. In cases where too many people have performed poorly, I offer the whole class an opportunity to revise for a higher grade. I also invest a lot of time in students who struggle in class, reaching out to any who have fallen behind and offering to help them get back on track. I believe that an integral part of critical thinking is to give students the authority to challenge authority, especially my own. In class discussions, I would often present to them something I have hypothesized or written, and ask them to find flaws in it. This not only helps student-professor rapport, but teaches them to avoid the logical fallacy of appeal to authority. I model myself after the clerk in the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, “Gladly would he learn, and gladly teach.” I stress to my students that every class is an exercise in learning together and creating knowledge together. Breaking down that barrier has helped give students the sense that our classroom is a safe space to voice opinions.

My overall teaching goal is to structure class in a way that allows students to formulate sophisticated analyses. They are especially excited when they generate fresh insights or insights that unbeknownst to them represent the most current lines of thinking. When they see that they can apply the basic concepts in class to generate new deductive insights, they own their learning process.

Representative student course evaluation comments:

Buried Cities, Lost Tribes: The Rise and Fall of Early Human Societies

  • "The course is well designed and covers a broad range of topics while maintaining depth in each. The professor is absolutely wonderful. She’s engaging, knowledgeable, and understanding. I’ve learned a lot from her."
  • "The professor is so enthusiastic about the material that it makes students want to listen and learn. She also uses various visual techniques that assist students in learning."
  • "What I absolutely adored about Dr. Hu and her teaching methods was her ability to make the material more digestible. Some concepts were a bit confusing at first, but by bringing in pop culture references and connecting it more to what I was comfortable with, I was able to retain information much easier. I loved her!"
  • "Dr. Hu is extremely dedicated. Course was narrow enough to allow us to look at the units in detail but not so narrow that stuff became boring or too focused on the minutiae. Really interestng subject. I really liked how the course focused specifically on the rise and fall of civilizations. The course challenges a lot of commonly–held beliefs in the field. Dr. Hu works hard to make the material engaging, and during lectures doesn't talk so fast it's hard to keep up but doesn't talk so slow that the lectures drag. Very rarely did I find myself having to rush to write down all of the information in my notes."
  • "This professor was very in–depth with all of the material. If I felt like I needed to know something more, she was always ready to answer a question, and if she didn't know an answer, she would have the answer by next class. Also, the professor had us in groups a lot, which I think helped with understand the material more."
  • "The professor, Dr. Hu, is honestly just a fantastic teacher and person. The active learning in the class could be a bit hard at times (social anxiety) but made the retention of the material much easier. Plus, there are ample opportunities for extra credit if you take them. Over all, a great professor with a great teaching style with a chance for students to bounce back on their grade have all been incredibly helpful."
  • "The major strength Dr. Hu's class has is its ability to involve students in class time. We go into class having read the modules and then Dr. Hu lectures in a way that invites us to give our critical feedback. This style of teaching is best for me because when I am hands on I perform the best and retain information much better."
  • "I love how she lectures and just the energy she brings to the lectures. She makes them very enjoyable to be there and very funny to listen to her memes."

    Introduction to Archaeology

  • "The course material is presented in a way that keeps it relevant to the human condition, and anyone can walk away having learned something every class."
  • "The class really fosters individual thought and consideration of the cultural and historical aspects of society in the past and present day."
  • "Each lecture was packed full of information that was relevant to the course. It all supported assignments and the midterm. The activity notebooks helped me to actually learn how to do the archaeological methodologies that we learned in class."
  • "I enjoyed the various videos and physical items that Dr. Hu brought to class. It made the class much more engaging and helped to be able to see physical representation for everything we discussed in class."
  • "The classes dedicated to inequality and ethics were exceptionally interesting. It explained the greater implications of the field and why the class matters, while also giving us the tools to answer large ethical questions and asses inequality in the world around us."
  • "I enjoyed learning about all the different cultures and the artifacts that were found from the past. All the different cultures learned about from the past were diverse and professor talked about all sorts of places, very inclusive."

    Experimental Archaeology

  • "Dr. Hu is a very engaging professor, the strength is that the class is activity based, and theres always something new to learn."
  • "Dr. Hu did a good job of giving us fun practical experience to pair with the lecture and reading material, the experiments and activities were engaging and helped strengthen my grasp on archaeological experimentation as a whole."
  • "Bringing in and showing what we are learning about, really helped me understand more about the topic. The activity notebooks, helped me learn more and keep up to date with class and made me want to go to class. I really enjoyed this aspect of the class."
  • "Bringing in and showing what we are learning about, really helped me understand more about the topic. The activity notebooks, helped me learn more and keep up to date with class and made me want to go to class. I really enjoyed this aspect of the class."
  • "I found the grant proposal process to be immensely valuable, learning the proper formatting and practicing it with the creative aspect of designing our own experiment was amazing and a great experience i will be able to take away from this class and apply in the future."
  • "I found the layout of the course very helpful. I like how everything was organized and feedback was quick.The explanations of lecture was very well, and it helped me learn. Also, how she talked about her experiences I thought was very neat, and I felt more engaged in the class."

    Andean Archaeology

  • "Professor Hu was able to illustrate the material in an interesting narrative, and explained topics with great detail."
  • "Dr. Hu is very knowledgeable and genuinely wants us to learn."
  • "Dr. Hu's knowledge and enthusiasm of the material is a strength."

    Archaeology of Empires and Rebels

  • "She was very welcoming and easy to ask questions, ask for due date. flexibility, contribute ideas and feel like a part of the course and class, despite distance. Her passion about the class carried over to us as a class."
  • "She seems to very knowledgeable about the material and archaeology as a whole. Assignments are clear and straight forward. Always willing to answer questions."
  • "I liked how involved we were, and I liked the discussion–based approach we took. I much preferred it to quizzes and other things. I felt like I got to engage a bit more with the people in my class."

    Food Archaeology

  • "Dr. Hu is great at facilitating discussion among students. She does a great job helping students make connections and think critically about the information being presented. I appreciate her sense of humor and encouragement to always consider the source."
  • "dr. hu truly understands her topic and is able to pull examples and other ways of understanding what we're focusing on at the time to make it much more accessible than it is during the difficult readings."
  • "She was an interesting professor and had fun stories. She was pretty funny and made the class interesting. She was also clearly educated on the topic which helped with understanding the information better, given the opportunity to ask questions."

    Introduction to Archaeology: American Cultures

  • "Di encouraged free thought and discussion in a welcoming educational environment. Sections were very informative and fun."
  • "Di was an absolutely fabulous GSI. She was friendly, knowledgeable, sincere, and passionate to say the least about the subject. I really enjoyed being in her section and think she was the best GSI I could've gotten."
  • "Thank you Di. I've probably sent you around 30 emails + you always respond. I can write another 15 pg paper saying how Anthro has helped me. Thank you for Todo."

    Introduction to Biological Anthropology

  • "Di Hu was a very encouraging GSI for the students in the class. Even though I do not like speaking in front of other people, she was always able to talk with me after section and she made it clear that she wanted me to succeed, but also that she KNEW that I could succeed."
  • "The GSI for this course has been great overall. She listens to any questions we might have and answers them clearly. She is very helpful with both labs and quiz questions and is willing to stay a little after section if needed. She seems to care about her students and encourages them to do well in the course."
  • "Di is a great gsi! Very helpful, great communication, always responds to emails on time, is available during OH or through appointment. Firm grasp on material and emails questions we didn't grasp in section. Favorite gsi at CAL so far!"
  • "Incredibly open and supportive GSI. The best I have had at Cal because of her genuine desire for us to do well personally, not just as a whole. She knows each of us better than any other GSI I have had and I know she has reached out to students who were struggling in this class before in order to ensure they were ok and so that they knew they had her support. Di Hu is passionate, engaging and kind. Best GSI I have had."
  • "Truly appreciated the help the TA would give not only in lab but also for large assignments. Very friendly and made section more entertaining by having section mascots."

    • Spatial Anthropology of Control and Resistance (independently designed and taught)

  • "Great class. Very productive discussion topics during class and the teaching style is great. Instructor does not pressure us too hard on contributing to discussions but always present interesting thoughts that would make us want to jump into the discussion. Very open-minded and encouraging. Thank you!"
  • "Di was one of the most eye opening instructors I've ever had. She was always engaging and did her best to get us to talk (even though we were all pretty shy). I thoroughly enjoyed this class!
  • "Di Hu is an INCREDIBLE teacher. I have learned tremendously useful information in this class. The class was set up in a circle that was conducive for dialoguing. This is true education. Di is very rare and special...Made this experience that probably is miserable for most incredibly enjoyable. Learning an unparalleled amount and being able to implement it in my daily life; I will take these lessons with me."

    • Ancient World History: Approaches to World Archaeology (co-designed and co-taught with Bryan Cockrell and Kirsten Vacca)

  • "Can easily see the professor with her. Her attitude is friendly and profession[al]. Her knowledge about the material is vast, and she dispense[s] with it openly."
  • "She is very patient and understanding. Although I didn't find the subject as engaging as she did, I felt her style of teaching helped me to appreciate archaeology a great deal more."
  • "Super intellectual with a archaeological sense of humor that kept me interested the whole semester."