Teaching

Students reported that in my class they learned how to...

"talk about controversial topics that may be sensitive but important to talk about" 

"apply the concepts from class to my papers and defend an argument"

"analyze different texts in various ways and how to gain understanding on a deeper level"

"be curious, ask questions, have an open mind toward things that don't make sense to me but hold deep significance for others"

Students reported that the class...

"was super engaging, including group discussions, leading class discussions, peer reviews, and a lot of interacting with classmates. I made a lot of new friendships"

"had the best structure of all the classes I've taken because it was so interactive and conducive to learning"

"was a positive learning environment from day 1 and throughout the course, the environment only got better"

"was very very good, I love the structure and it was super engaging and provided a safe space for us to really dig deep in our thoughts and share them and analyze and discuss some difficult topics"

When asked about their instructor, students reported...

"Professor Rostov is super welcoming and engaging. She is always prepared for classes and does an amazing job at analyzing the class content"

"Professor Rostov is THE BEST!!!"

"Claire did a fantastic job this semester of keeping us all engaged. She shaped an atmosphere in the classroom that allowed every student to share their thoughts in a safe space. Every class was loaded with fun activities to accompany the material which kept everyone engaged"

"Professor Rostov was awesome. She kept the class engaged and was very prepared in every class. She brought a variety of learning tools and helped the class to engage in lectures and discussions that have helped me learn"

Read the full course reviews. 

My goal as an instructor is for my students to open themselves up to new perspectives in order to empathetically and respectfully engage with religious traditions, practices, and beliefs that are unfamiliar to them and may be very different from their own. Thus, critique is not the first nor the only mode of engagement in my classroom. Through structured, close-reading activities, such as working together to identify questions, define key terms, and write the thesis of the reading in their own words, I invite students to treat the authors we read as potential conversation partners. By entering into dialogue with the readings, theory becomes more accessible, and students can gain understanding before moving to critique.

In addition, my goal is for students to engage in learning that, like the religious practices we study, is experiential, embodied, and social. Religion and the study of religion is not confined to disinterested and objective readings of texts, but rather includes a whole array of rituals, experiences, sensations, habits, and social groups. Therefore, class time is organized around learning how to analyze a wide range of sources by engaging with a variety of interdisciplinary methods, including history, anthropology, sociology, and material and visual culture. Students apply these methods in small group discussions and hands-on activities. For instance, I frequently bring in a range of tangible examples to analyze, including children’s toys, TikToks, music videos, and relics. I also take my students around campus to engage in learning outside of the classroom.

As we analyze a wide variety of sources in class and outside of class, students begin to see that religious traditions and experiences are not monolithic and static, but rather shaped by their material, social, economic, and historic contexts. Religion and the study of religion is inseparable from structures of power and systems of oppression that both make possible and restrict religious practices. Thus, students in my classes grapple with issues of identity, community, conflict, and power, including the complex legacies of violence, colonization, and appropriation. To create the space where students can grapple with this difficult subject matter, students work together to draft a set of community guidelines for classroom discussion. In addition, students also work together to draft a technology policy for the classroom. By devising their own standards for class behavior, students take ownership over their learning and their classroom community. 

To further create a classroom environment where students feel that they belong and can learn from one another, I encourage students to bring their questions, perspectives, and diverse experiences to the material. For example, every class begins with two students leading the class through a warm-up activity and discussion of a question that seeks to relate the course content to their lives (i.e. a class on sacred spaces might begin with asking students to consider what places they consider sacred and why, and a class on domestic religion might begin by asking students to consider what are some ways in which religion happens in the home).

While students are encouraged to bring their perspectives and experiences into the classroom, writing assignments are structured so that students can take the course material outside the class. In other words, writing assignments allow students to connect the course material with cases they find relevant and interesting. For instance, in Religion and Popular Culture, short writing assignments ask students to write about an example of religion and popular culture that they are familiar with, such as a fashion trend, favorite song, comic strip, or a TikTok video. In order to prepare students to undertake these writing assignments, I provide ample support for students inside and outside of class. I dedicate class time to breaking down various aspects of the writing process to make the final product feel less daunting. For example, students participate in activities that help them brainstorm potential ideas for their upcoming papers, draft thesis statements, and engage in structured peer review. I also encourage students to meet with me during office hours to discussion their questions and concerns regarding the writing process. Some students need additional support to succeed, and I prioritize providing individualized assistance for these students. Given the increased use of generative AI amongst college students, I work with my students both in and out of the classroom to ensure that they feel confident and prepared as writers.

At the end of my classes, I hope that my students are better equipped to address the complexity and diversity of religious beliefs and practices that they encounter in their own lives and in the world. I also hope that students will walk away with new questions, perspectives, and enthusiasm for future learning in the classroom and beyond.

As an instructor, I am committed to continual learning and am constantly striving to improve my teaching. I am currently enrolled in the Certificate in College Teaching at Duke University where I have learned new methods for teaching at the college level and taken pedagogy courses on topics such as: Generative AI in College Teaching, Teaching in Religion, and Visual Teaching. In addition, I also participated in The Kenan Institute for Ethics semester-long fellowship program, Teaching on Purpose, and a year-long fellowship program, Preparing Future Faculty, that helps prepare PhD students to teach at a diverse range of institutions. 

With support from Duke's Summer Course Development Grant, I developed a new course titled "Religion and Popular Culture" that I taught as the Instructor of Record during Fall 2024. I have also served as a Student Teacher for the undergraduate courses Religion in American Life and Introduction to Religious Studies, and as a Teaching Assistant for Religion and Film, Sport and Religion, and Race, Film, and Religion where I worked with students to improve their critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.