Teaching

Positions

Course Director, Verto Education, Portland State University (OR) [remote]
Introduction to Sociology: Sociology of Identity (Spring 2020)
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Spring 2020)

Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Stanford University (CA)
Sociology of Emotions (Winter 2019)

Lecturer, Thinking Matters Program, Stanford Introductory Studies, Stanford University (CA)
Empathy (Fall 2016, Fall 2017)
Belief (Winter 2017)
Reading the Body: How Medicine and Culture Define the Self (Spring 2017, Spring 2018)

Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Princeton University (NJ)
Self and Society (Fall 2015)
Introduction to Sociology, with Professor Paul Starr (Fall 2015)
Travelers, Tourists, and Pilgrims (Spring 2016)
Advisor, Junior Theses (17 students)

Visiting Faculty, Division of Social Sciences, Bennington College (VT)
Self and Society (Fall 2014)
Transformations of the Self (Fall 2014)

Instructor, Department of Sociology, Kean University (NJ)
Personal and Social Interaction (Spring 2012)

Preceptor (Teaching Assistant), Department of Sociology, Princeton University (NJ)
Sociology of the E-Street: Bruce Springsteen’s America, with Professor Mitch Duneier (Spring 2015)
Introduction to Sociology, with Professor Mitch Duneier and Professor Paul Starr (Fall 2013)
Attitudes, Identities and Social Interaction, with Professor David Gibson (Spring 2013)
Introduction to Sociology, with Professor Fernandez-Kelly (Fall 2011)
Sociological Theory,with Professor Charles Camic (Spring 2011)
Sociology of the E-Street: Bruce Springsteen’s America, with Professor Mitch Duneier (Fall 2009)

Teaching Awards

Marvin Bressler Graduate Student Teaching Award, 2015Princeton University, Sociology Department    

Teaching-Related Activities

Pre-Major Advisor, Stanford University, 2017-Present I currently serve as pre-major advisor for 4 undergraduate students at Stanford. I meet with my advisees quarterly to discuss their academic progress and plans, and to check in on their broader experiences on campus. I will continue to work with these students until they declare a major. 

Organizer and Facilitator, “Mind Maps: Uses and Best Practices.” Fellows Pedagogy Training. Thinking Matters Program, Stanford University, Fall 2017I organized and facilitated this workshop on the use of mind maps as a pedagogical tool for active learning, meta-cognition, and integration. The workshop was delivered to instructors in the Thinking Matters program at Stanford University. 

Student Advising, Junior Theses, Department of Sociology, Princeton University, 2015-2016 I was the main advisor for 17 students writing junior theses (~30 page papers based on independent research, completed over the course of one academic year). 

Invited Participant, Teagle Foundation Seminar on Teaching in the Research University, McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, Princeton University, 2012-2013 I was selected to take part in a multi-disciplinary, year long seminar of Princeton graduate students and faculty. The seminar was a forum in which we read and discussed current research on a range of pedagogical issues in higher education. In addition to the participating in monthly discussions, I created a syllabus and planned assignments and assessments for a future course.

Participant, Teaching Transcript Program, McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, Princeton University [requirements completed June 2013] I completed supplementary training in pedagogy through the McGraw Center at Princeton. In addition to serving as a preceptor (TA), the program requirements include: completing a classroom observation and feedback session with a consultant from the McGraw Center, participating in 5 pedagogy programs, and drafting both a teaching philosophy and original course syllabus.

Coordinator, Community-Based Learning Initiative (CBLI) Course Project in Bruce Springsteen’s America: Sociology of the E-Street, Princeton University Working with local community organizations, I helped design and implement a community-based learning project for this “social problems” course (with Prof Mitch Duneier). Students in my sections conducted in-depth interviews with clients at either a reproductive health center or a veterans services center. Using these transcripts, students created two final products. Individually, students wrote a final paper in the style of a life history account, drawing out connections between the individual’s experiences and broader social and cultural forces discussed in the class. Collectively, each section worked together, using the data from their interviews to produce a new pamphlet (with first-hand accounts) that could be used by the organization to explain and market their services.

Student Comments

Stanford University – Thinking Matters Program: 

“Dr. Johnston is by far the best professor I had this quarter (it’s my first quarter). I consistently found the section discussions to be open, inviting spaces to have honest conversations. When we found course material challenging or confusing, she encouraged us to share that and discuss it. When we agreed or disagreed with assigned readings, she pushed us both to strengthen our arguments by talking through our opinions and to question these opinions, seeing the benefits and shortcomings of the readings that we weren’t seeing. I leave section every single time feeling I have a deeper understanding of what empathy is and what its role is in this world, and I attribute that entirely to her balance of open-minded encouragement and her expectation that we write, argue, and defend ourselves with solid arguments.” 

“Erin is always supportive of all of our opinions and creates a welcoming environment where I feel comfortable sharing my opinions to my classmates. Additionally, I really appreciated the thorough feedback and suggestions that [she] gave for my writing assignments. I’ve never had any teacher in the past who gave such concise, helpful, and supportive comments for my paper, so I was very grateful for her because she invested so much time in helping me improve my writing.”

“I really enjoy how Erin gives us the freedom to conduct deep and complex conversations among ourselves, yet is able to coherently wrap up our ideas and how they apply to the bigger picture in a great way.”

“She’s good at facilitating conversations and making everyone feel comfortable to share in the classroom environment. She understands the material really well, and the way she explains and connects concepts to each other has helped me learn a lot.”

Princeton University:

“Erin was great. She is very chill, relaxed and patient. She breaks down concepts and makes them sound worthwhile to talk about. Conversation never really got dull, and she made a very comfortable environment for anybody to talk. Sometimes I would say something probably not so smart, but she made me feel as if I was actually adding something to the conversation, making me feel good about myself, and more likely to participate in the future.”

“Erin is the main reason I did well in this course. She clarified all of the material such that it was easy to grasp and remember. She always responded to my questions very promptly and made herself available outside of the classroom. Certainly one of the best preceptors I’ve had at Princeton!”

“Erin did a fantastic job. Her charts and review sheets were so helpful. She was great at engaging the precept and provided interesting discussions and hypothetical questions that made us think about the theorists in new and different ways. She was great in answering all of my questions and really clarified this course for me.”

Bennington College:

“I think Erin is really successful at observing students in the class. She never labels students and she makes great efforts to understand each person individually.” 

 “It’s clear that Erin put a lot of effort into designing/conducting and altering the course as needed. She was very open to meeting our own needs and was invaluable in encouraging us in developing our own research. Her kindness created a comfortable and enjoyable classroom environment.”

Kean University:

“She’s so intelligent. She puts so much work into teaching & she is very helpful. She goes above and beyond to make sure we understand the material. I definitely recommend taking her class. You learn so much, just show up, listen & read the book & assigned readings. Assignments are great, too. She answers emails ASAP and they are thorough. Love her!!!”

“She is extremely helpful and is great at explaining different topics. Her lectures are interesting and if you take her class you will definitely learn a lot! She always has a smile on her face and is overall a great professor!”

Courses I Would Love to Teach

  • Introduction to Sociology
  • Theory (Classical and Contemporary)
  • Methods (General)
  • Qualitative Methods 
  • Ethnographic Methods
  • Cultural Sociology
  • Culture and Cognition
  • Self and Society
  • Sociology of Emotions
  • Sociology of Religion
  • Lived Religion in America
  • New Religious Movements
  • Travelers, Tourists, and Pilgrims
  • Empathy
  • Reading the Body