Teaching

Kristen Alff’s first degree was in pedagogy. She has 18 years of teaching experience at the high school and university level. Alff has taught at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, Keio Boys High School, Boston Public Schools, Avon High School, and East Hartford Public Schools. She has written textbooks and curriculum for English classes. Her textbook is currently being used in Egyptian public schools.

Kristen Alff’s teaching in history at the university level is driven by two complementary objectives: The first is to teach students to think like historians. She provides them with the tools to critically assess accounts of the past to help them confront their own present and future. The second is to develop students’ critical thinking and communication skills that serve as a foundation for professional advancement. Alff designs her lessons to fulfill both goals simultaneously. She teaches: Middle East History, World History, History of the Global South, Mediterranean and Indian Oceans history, Economic History, History of the Company, Business History, Gender and Business, and Capitalism. She has taught courses on the Middle East from 500 CE to the present.

Select Syllabi:

Middle East and the World

Capitalism and the Global South

The Middle East and North Africa, c. 500-1500

Capitalism and the Middle East

Sample Skills Worksheets (available on request):

“Reading a Historical Article 101”

“Strategies for Evaluating Primary Sources”