Dr. Jeff Hoffmann
B.A. in Spanish Linguistics & Literature, B.A. Communication Studies, M.A., Ph.D. Intercultural Communication
Subject: Language Arts
What will my child walk away with? Students leave my class with sharpened critical thinking, a genuine curiosity about how language shapes the world, and the confidence to express complex ideas clearly and persuasively. I want every student to understand that communication is not just a skill, it is a way of seeing. The goal is a mind that questions, connects, and articulates.
What can families expect? Expect a classroom that takes ideas seriously and makes that seriousness feel energizing rather than intimidating. I draw on published research in intercultural communication and pedagogy to structure every lesson, so students are always working at the edge of their ability, not coasting. Families will see their children developing stronger arguments, richer vocabulary, and a more nuanced sense of audience.
What does class actually feel like? Lively, rigorous, and a little surprising. I use real-world texts, debates, and cross-cultural examples to make abstract concepts concrete, and I build sessions around discussion rather than lecture. Students quickly learn that I expect them to defend their thinking, not just state it, and most of them find they enjoy that challenge more than they expected.
How do you challenge a curious mind? Bright students often need a harder question, not a harder worksheet. I push students toward the second and third layer of an idea: once you understand what something says, what does it assume, who does it serve, and how could it be said differently? My background in transformative pedagogy means I treat intellectual discomfort as productive, guiding students through it rather than around it.
Credentials and Experience Ph.D. in Intercultural Communication from the University of New Mexico. Published research on culture, power in media, sustainable food systems, and transformative pedagogy in international scholarly journals and edited collections. Ten years of university teaching at the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College, plus enrichment programs funded by the Indiana Department of Education and the Jim Davis Foundation. Additional work includes public health curriculum for the Indiana Department of Health and curriculum development for Veterans’ support initiatives.
Why Jeff? Why Brain Power?
A doctorate in intercultural communication is an unusual credential for a language arts classroom, and that is exactly the point. Jeff brings a researcher’s precision and a community organizer’s warmth to every session, connecting students not just to the mechanics of writing and speaking but to the larger question of why communication matters. Brain Power’s commitment to teaching students how to think, not what to think, maps directly onto his own scholarly and teaching philosophy.