During the week of August 9th - 13th, the Center for Teaching & Learning hosted our first Equitable Teaching Conference (ETC). The participants and facilitators began each session by focusing on this definition of equitable classrooms: 鈥渟paces where everyone (teachers, students, teaching assistants) has what they need to thrive鈥�.聽 I would like to share a few recurring themes that appeared in our session feedback forms, in response to the question: 鈥淲hat is one thing you read, heard, or learned through this experience that you will use to improve your course(s) or your teaching practice?鈥澛�
Bringing Humanity to the Classroom
Many of our conversations centered on developing a classroom environment where students feel safe, heard, and valued. Participants were excited to explore informal check-ins with students with an intentionally positive lens, such as asking what they do understand rather than what they don鈥檛 understand.聽 We noted that we could utilize vulnerability to humanize ourselves and let the students know that their difficulties in the class were also once your own, while still maintaining professional boundaries.聽
We also did some brainstorming about how to lift up diverse perspectives. Small group discussions that report back to the entire class can increase the ability for diverse perspectives to be shared without singling out individuals.聽 One could also ask, "Does anyone have a perspective that hasn't been shared today?" We recognized that pauses for metacognitive reflection during coursework would support students who might need moments of quiet during class. One participant plans to take deep, audible breaths to indicate to students that it is okay to relax, reflect, and process new information.聽 Also, many participants appreciated the session on Universal Design for Learning, where we discussed broadening the definition of ability & disability. The Accessibility Minute newsletter is a great resource for additional new ideas to address accessibility in your classroom.
Clarifying Our Teaching Values
We often make assumptions that students know our values regarding appropriate classroom behavior. It is also common to ask students to 鈥渟how respect鈥� for their teachers and peers without defining what 鈥渞espect鈥� means to us. As Dr. CheyOnna Sewell noted in her session, we have a responsibility to clearly name the spaces that we are curating and facilitating. This , written by Dr. Brenda Allen, is an example of how to welcome and value all social identities聽 in the classroom.聽
Even though the semester has started, it is not too late to co-create community agreements with your students. You might use class time to ask them to edit a set of agreements. There are some suggestions in this guide, on page 6, about how to work toward consensus with your class on these agreements. Establishing agreements may also facilitate the formation of friendships between students, which is a strong predictor of聽 students鈥� sense of belonging. I was so impressed with the data shared on this topic that I started my classes this semester with a simple聽 ice-breaker where students interviewed each other in pairs, looking to share back to the class about something that they had in common.
Transparency and Explicit Communication
In our session about transparent assignments, participants were inspired to聽 incorporate a statement that clarifies the purpose of the assignment, as well as what criteria for success, and how they will be evaluated. 鈥溾�� started as an American Association of Colleges & University research project called Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT). While discussing this topic, one participant explained that they were using the word "synthesize"聽 in assignments but never took time to explain what it means. We explored how to use Bloom鈥檚 Taxonomy to explain clearly to students how to navigate to higher levels of learning.聽
This semester, we will be feeling the impacts from a year of remote learning. It might feel overwhelming to take on new teaching practices, as we are taking on masked in-person teaching or expanding our approach to remote teaching. I encourage you to try one new practice from this post ~ perhaps one survey to ask students about their classroom experience, adapting one assignment using the , or adding structure to group work or discussions in the classroom to clarify expected behavior.聽 As I teach this semester, I will be thinking about what we all need to thrive in the classroom, embracing this idea from an ETC participant: 鈥淢ake space for students to connect, note emotional states, and create community so healing can take place鈥�.聽