Mika Yamamoto

Mika Yamamoto (she/her) is a Lecturer in the Department of Liberal Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where she teaches writing courses. With over 20 years of teaching experience across early childhood, middle school, high school, and college levels, she currently balances her role at SAIC with teaching middle school at The Children's School, a progressive independent school in Oak Park.

• Fields of Interest: Creative Writing, Asian-American Literature, Critical Theory, Social Justice in Education
• Key Resources Utilized: SAIC Service Bureau, Art Institute, Writing Center, Diversity Department, Title IX Office

Her teaching philosophy emphasizes creating safe spaces for marginalized voices through mindfulness activities, weekly reflections, and formal writing assignments. Courses include FYS I: Writing for Space-Making and FYS I: Asian-American Writers, focusing on critical analysis of works by authors like Esme Weijun Wang and Cathy Park Hong.