Teaching
I mentor pre- and in-service teachers to honor the cultural and intellectual legacies of their students and to imagine more human possibilities for learning.
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching situates educational disparities within political, social, and historical contexts. I remain committed to dismantling harmful status quos. My classrooms ask learners to see themselves as artists and intellectuals full of creativity and promise.
Advising & Mentoring
Advisee testimonials describe me as a rigorous chair, trusted thought partner, and mentor who helps scholars produce work in their truest voice.
Dr. Huldah Dauid
Winner of the 2025 Doctoral Program Outstanding Dissertation Award.
Dr. Rosemary Wrenn
Winner of the 2022 CCTE Outstanding Dissertation Award.
Doctoral Advisee Testimonials
Reflections from scholars I have advised across dissertation research, critical inquiry, and teacher education.
“A Seat at the Table, Please”: A Study of how Black College Students with Dis/abilities Experience Sense of Belonging.
“Dr. David Low, Thank you. Your support through this process has been invaluable. Huldah is right, every student needs a chair like you. You listened to my frustrations and didn’t minimize me. You listened when others wouldn’t. You didn’t infantilize me. You are more than a professor. You are a teacher, and we need more of those.”
Spotlight on Justice: A Critical Discourse Analysis of a Positive Deviant School District.
“I am deeply grateful to Dr. David Low. As dissertation chair, Dr. Low was an exceptional thought partner who leveraged his academic grounding to assist me in creating a dissertation that is my truest voice.”
Black Students’ Perception of Racialized Sense of Self and its Effects on Self Determination and Sense of Belonging.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Chair every student deserves. Dr. David Low, without you—your belief in my work and your championing of my vision for this dissertation—I would not have been able to do this.”
Community Building Among Transnational Adult Students in California Adult Education Programs: A Critical Phenomenological Study.
“I want to thank my dissertation chair for the devotion of his time to this dissertation process. Thank you for sharing your expertise in various areas and for providing positive feedback throughout this process. You have shown how important it is to stay focused on equity and inclusion throughout education going forward.”
Navigating Second Chances: A Qualitative Exploration of the Role Higher Education Plays in Supporting Justice-Impacted Individuals.
“Dr. Low, I cannot thank you enough for the patience and grace you have shown me. You literally responded to every question and text message. You allowed space for my tears when I needed to just cry and allowed me to be myself; in fact, you encouraged it. Even with the loss of your beloved mother, you still found time to keep me on course. Thank you for everything; you are indeed an educator at heart.”
Developing Culturally Responsive Pedagogy through Inquiry Based Professional Development: A Relationship between Teacher Agency and Text Selection.
“Dr. Low, you are the embodiment of a true teacher. Your patience, support, encouragement, and expertise are unrivaled. The mentorship and friendship you have provided me is one of the most wonderful gifts I have ever been given.”
Teacher Inquiry as Transformative Learning: The Work of an Adolescent Music Education Study Group.
“David Low, my advisor, chair, and guardian angel, who provided proactive and unwavering support plus a steady stream of new ideas and reinforcements just as I needed to hear them, from inquiry as stance and Kathleen Riley’s dissertation, to theory of change and centering children’s voices.”
White Teachers in a Perceived White District Discussing Race and Racism in their Classrooms.
“My committee chair, Dr. Low—you operated magically as you pushed me with the perfect blend of encouragement and critique. Your reflective questions, weekly check-ins, and mentoring truly carried me across the finish line. I would not have been able to complete this journey without your patient guidance during the past year and your willingness to advocate for me from the moment we met. You restored my faith in the system and my faith in my ability. You restored my belief that higher education educators truly care about students the way (most) P-12 educators care about students.”
Towards Anti-Racism as Stance: White Women Teachers Committing to Transformation.
“Thank you to my chair, David Low, who introduced me to post-constructivist feminism and inquiry as stance, and who understands the way I think and look at this world. It is impossible for me to quantify how much I have learned in the short time I’ve gotten to work with you. You have given me the confidence to attempt teaching Children’s Lit, so you are also having a big impact on 60 more students who benefit from the things you’ve shared with me.”
Podemos Cambiar el Mundo: Centering the Voices of Children in Conversations of Teacher Practice and Social Justice.
“I want to thank Dr. David Low for showing me the importance of transparency and humor throughout this process, for always believing in me, treating me like a friend, and helping me prosper in our field.”
Courses
Literacy Engagement in the Community
Content Area Language and Literacy Instruction
Methods and Materials in English in Secondary Classrooms
Literature for Children and Adolescents
Clinical Experiences in Reading Assessment and Instruction
Comics and Graphic Storytelling
Teacher Education Approach
My courses ask future teachers to read policy, curriculum, and classroom life critically while also staying accountable to joy, imagination, and student humanity. The goal is not only instructional competence but also a more ethical and expansive vision of what teaching can do.
Mentoring
Advisees describe my mentoring style as rigorous, intellectually honest, and deeply invested in helping scholars produce work in their truest voice.