I have developed syllabi for a variety of undergraduate courses, including Introduction to Comparative Politics, Introduction to American Politics, Politics of Gender, Political Psychology, and the Politics of Nationalism. At the graduate-level, I am prepared to teach core seminars in comparative and American politics, as well as courses on political behavior and psychology, nationalism and ethnic politics, and the politics of gender.

My teaching philosophy reflects a strong commitment to bringing the insights of political science research and practice to life for my students, whether in small or large classes. I prepare my students to become better adjudicators of political arguments by teaching them to begin thinking analytically and causally about social science questions. My students are introduced to both mainstream and classic political science scholarship, and are asked to apply the best practices of social science research design to their own work, whether this is in the form of a traditional final essay or a group data analysis project. This hands-on approach to research pays large dividends for students entering a workforce that is increasingly data-driven.

In recognition of my teaching effectiveness, I was awarded the Allison J. Melloy Award for Excellence in Teaching from the UVa Department of Politics, and nominated for a university-wide teaching prize.

WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT MY TEACHING

“I'm really glad I decided to take this course with Olyvia as I never could've expected it to be so interesting and impactful. It was one of the few times, if not the only, where a class actually helped to form my worldview, and even change it. Olyvia took on a very difficult subject to teach, one where much of the research is still emerging, and did so wonderfully, and without bias. It was clear that she spent an enormous amount of time preparing for the course and put everything she had into it. I certainly learned way more than I ever could have expected to, and know that I will remember the takeaways for a very long time. As an instructor, Olyvia was very interesting and engaging, and made a point to make herself available outside of class, which was great when I needed to email her for help. Definitely one of my favorite professors I've had in my 3 years, and I wish I was able to take another class with her. She clearly really enjoyed teaching the material and that made it much easier to learn as a student. She didn't assign too much or unnecessary work, and I honestly believe I got a lot out of the assignments that will help me moving forward in my career in politics. I can honestly say this class will be a great help to my future, and I'm more informed and better off for taking it. Overall, Olyvia was amazing and the class was phenomenal.”

“Professor Christley was engaging and always more than ready to lead the class every day. Despite somewhat heated discussions and polarizing topics, she always diffused tension and was the height of professionalism. That said, she was always approachable and easy to talk to. We covered a broad variety of case studies and papers all building on one another and synthesizing broader understandings of nationalism. She is certainly one of the better professors I've had at UVA.”

“The class was fantastic overall. Olyvia made lectures engaging and interesting. I would take another class with her if offered. She was also very professional, but easy to talk to.”

“Olyvia is a passionate TA who engages very well with her students and the material. She is a great combination of a good teacher as well as a knowledgeable scholar.”

“Olyvia was the most helpful resource in this class. Even when I felt unprepared for discussion, I always came away with a greater understanding of the material. She is clearly well-versed in the material and was clearly interested in it, which made discussion interesting. She always engages students and asks thought-provoking questions, and I always felt that the time spent during discussion was productive and worthwhile. I'm very glad to have had her as a TA.”

“Olyvia is very knowledgeable, professional, and approachable. She did a great job highlighting the important parts of lecture and leading us in discussions that synthesized the material.”

“Olyvia was fantastic. Honestly, the best TA I have had at this school. She broke down material for us in a very effective way, and forced us to learn from one another”

“Olyvia did an excellent job of making sure we understood the course material in new and innovative ways. Rather than simply recapitulate the main points of the readings, she encouraged us to learn from other sources (class debates, relevant news clips/movie clips, etc.) and made the class more interesting as a result.”

“I love that Olyvia came to discussion with enthusiasm and a desire to make the time enjoyable and effective for us. I appreciate variety in education, and so I loved that we did a lot of different activities to learn about the course material.”

“I'd recommend Olyvia to other students as she is intelligent and effective at leading us to learn without feeding us the answers. She encouraged us to come to our own conclusions and consider the material from multiple viewpoints.”

“Loved Olyvia as a TA. She went above and beyond by thinking outside the box in teaching this class. Really enjoyed it!”

“Olyvia clearly has plenty of knowledge of and experience with the world of politics. She was passionate, approachable, and fair.”

“Olyvia is clearly a very smart person but also a good conveyor of knowledge. Sometimes TAs obviously know the material but they cannot teach it. This was not the case with her. She also cares that her students understand the material.”

“Olyvia is extremely supportive, encouraging, and patient. If she sees that you are putting the work in she will help you succeed. I would love to have her as a TA, or professor one day, again.”

“I love that Olyvia came to discussion with enthusiasm and a desire to make the time enjoyable and effective for us.”

“Olyvia definitely cared about what we had to say, and never shut any student down. It made discussion a very welcoming environment where we all felt comfortable sharing thoughts and viewpoints.”

“Olyvia always makes herself available for questions and is always willing to listen to any problems we need to discuss [about] the material. She didn't have many weaknesses while teaching I think she did a very good job in the discussion.”

“Olyvia made the course material so much clearer and truly cared about her students. She was approachable and engaging.”

“Olyvia is a magnificent TA and would be an excellent professor. Discussion was always extremely helpful. She makes material engaging and is great at clarifying difficult topics.”

“Olyvia's section was more interesting than most of the discussion sections I've been in as a Politics major. She did her best to make the section fun and interesting while still making sure we understood the most important information. Also, her comments on papers were very helpful.”

“Olyvia greatly contributed to my overall understanding of the course material and provided great feedback on exams and homework assignments.”

“I would highly recommend Olyvia Christley as a TA. She did an excellent job of explaining the complex theories and material covered in lectures and course readings. She was honestly one of the best TAs I've ever had.”

“I would recommend Olyvia to other students. She is the best TA I have had at UVA, and she really cares about her students.”

“Olyvia is a great teacher [with regards to] the material and a very intelligent person. She is passionate about the material and makes it easy to learn.”

“In my opinion, Olyvia welcomed alternative viewpoints and treated all students fairly. She wanted students to speak their minds freely and would always try to stimulate a debate if students were found to have differing viewpoints.”

“Olyvia was very open minded and never got upset at an opinion nor did she "shoot" it down. She would play devil's advocate at times but only to stimulate thinking and discussion.”

“Olyvia was an excellent facilitator of discussions and explaining concepts in different ways to ensure everyone understood. I don't have any suggestions she did an excellent job.”

“Olyvia is a confident speaker and active listener. She is often able to scan the room to scope out the general feeling while also listening to a student speaking at the same time.”

“Olyvia is engaging, makes students feel comfortable participating, and is good at explaining complex ideas.”

“Olyvia is great at cultivating a friendly learning environment and at making the information interesting.”

“Olyvia loved to discuss all viewpoints of issues and encouraged students to challenge her.”

“Olyvia welcomes alternative viewpoints and allowed the class to engage in debate over the material in a way that was informative. She treated all the students fairly.”

“Olyvia was a great TA, always prepared and knew so much about the field. Always responded to my emails.”

“Olyvia knew the material, helped us in any way that she could, and was also available outside of class for help.”

“Wonderful, focused, and comprehensive instructor. One of the best TA's I've had.”

“Olyvia added to my learning in the course, which in my opinion, makes you an exceptional TA.”

“Yes, I would 100% recommend Olyvia to anyone. She is amazing and great at what she does. I hope she becomes a teacher because she truly is great at it.”