Learning About Our Students (2022)
Sharon Raz
The following faculty reflections were gathered during a LWTech all-faculty meeting in the In-Service week of Fall 2022. The main focus of discussion was the five dimensions of diversity and social justice in the class (Bell et al. 2016. Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, pg. 56):
- Me, as an educator: What are my social identities and positionality in the classroom?
- My students: What are their social identities, backgrounds, abilities, and needs?
- The curriculum: What do I teach?
- My teaching methods: How do I teach it?
- The classroom climate and the group dynamics
What can we gain from learning about our students?
Their trust.
Their willingness to share.
The ability to contextualize topics for them.
Building a classroom community.
Perspectives and experiences other than our own.
Students bring their own knowledge and experiences that can enrich all of our learning and is validating and empowering for the student as well.
We can find common ground.
We can open our eyes to new ideas.
Students often come with knowledge of the topic. Others can learn from them too.
I ask my students often how their learning experience is going. From their insights I learn how I can improve and I learn new ideas for teaching.
We can meet them where they are.
They feel a sense of belonging.
Personal connection.
Sawubona – I see you.
By learning about our students we are also learning about our community and who is around us.
Gives you a chance to expand approaches to teaching different people. This can counter boredom.
We can enrich our own lives by learning about our students. We can draw on student experiences when designing assignments such as writing prompts.
Ability to share and learn from different experiences.
Not everything is what it seems.
How did we get here and why? Why are they here and how?
Understand a bit more about the life experiences that might influence their interactions and learning in class.
Challenge our preconceived notions and biases.
Learning about our students enriches the entire class. We become greater than the sum our parts. Synergy.
We get an environment where students are ready to learn.
Connection and focus more on similarities than differences.
We can gain perspective from the students’ vastly different backgrounds and experiences. New perspectives allow us to better relate to students. Being able to relate allows us to present information to them in more meaningful ways.
What are some ways we can learn more about our students?
Talk to the text (golden lines).
Discussion boards.
I am / identities activity in Week 1.
Spend the first day on introductions.
Icebreakers (introductions including backgrounds and hobbies).
Engage in quick, fun, open-ended questions at the start of class. We learn a lot about someone when we are learning about their favorite dessert or animal. Makes for fun conversation.
Discussion board introduction with a video or writing.
Using Mentimeter.
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