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Teaching Every Student

Teaching Every Student. Catherine Ross, Ph.D. Institute for Teaching & Learning University of Connecticut.

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Teaching Every Student

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  1. Teaching Every Student Catherine Ross, Ph.D. Institute for Teaching & Learning University of Connecticut

  2. At UConn we believe that diversity enriches our learning environment, the strength of our workforce, and the lives of our entire community. …it is our obligation to create the best possible educational environment for our students.

  3. How can we (faculty and teaching assistants) foster learning environments in which diversity becomes one of the resources that stimulates learning?

  4. Theportion we see of human beings is very small: their forms and faces, voices and words…[but] beyond these, like an immense dark continent, lies all that has made them. Freya Stark The Journey’s Echo

  5. In the Classroom How it feels from where the students sit

  6. Classroom Biases • The faculty have low expectations for us. “Since I am Latino, whenever I went into office hours, I always felt like the professors were thinking: ‘You know, he can’t keep up with the class.’ ” “I wasn’t doing well in the course and the professor said, ‘Oh well, drop the course. There’s nothing I can do for you and there’s nothing you can do.’ ” (CRLT Occasional Papers, No. 7, University of Michigan)

  7. Classroom Biases • The faculty do not understand that we are different from the white middle and upper-middle class students they are used to. “One of my TAs was talking about students having to work and he said, ‘None of you have to work to earn money because you can write home to your parents.’ I was working 35-40 hours a week and I felt really bad.”

  8. Classroom Biases • The faculty do not care about us…or reach out to us..or have time for us. “Because my first language is not English, I take a little longer to understand something that is said, …maybe about 2-3 minutes longer. Once I got into a verbal disagreement with one of my TAs, and he said that he didn’t care if I did not understand, he didn’t have time for me.”

  9. Classroom Biases • The faculty single us out as “experts” and “spokespersons” for our racial group. “An Asian article came up in class and the teacher looked at me and said, ‘I’m sure XXX will have much to say about this next article.’ ” (CRLT Occasional Papers, No. 7, University of Michigan)

  10. Classroom Biases Minority undergraduates at UConn: “In a class of 25 there were 5 minority students. Each time a minority would speak, the teacher would laugh.” “Students come to a class with different prior knowledge. It is better if the teacher explains some things rather than assuming the students know it from high school.”

  11. Classroom Biases Minority undergraduates at UConn: “Some TAs disrespect the students. Oftentimes, only the minorities in the class are given oral quizzes. The minorities feel hounded by the TAs.” “As a minority there are certain expectations placed on you--either to ‘know’ or to ‘not know’ something; this is stereotyping.”

  12. Classroom Biases Minority undergraduates at UConn: “It is extremely hard to be the only minority in class. There was a history class on slavery and the student is expected to be a representative. Everyone kept looking at her and she felt singled out. Try to keep the class general.”

  13. Classroom Biases Minority undergraduates at UConn: “When white students don’t do well on a test and ask for an extra credit assignment, it is given to them. When a student of color asks for extra credit, the teacher says ‘there is no extra credit’.”

  14. Classroom Biases Minority undergraduates at UConn: “If minorities are having trouble in class, it is because they are not trying. You are made to feel that when you ask the professor for help, you are bothering them.”

  15. Classroom Biases Minority undergraduates at UConn: “In classrooms students of color don’t feel comfortable because they may be the only minority and that makes them feel isolated. You feel as though because you are a black person, you shouldn’t be asking questions.”

  16. Classroom Advice Minority undergraduate advice: • It is extremely helpful when teachers set up group workshops. • It would be good if they would teach the material without rushing. (Curriculum Infusion Committee, March 2007)

  17. Classroom Advice Minority undergraduate advice: • Teachers need to understand that people learn in different ways. • It is good to ask students if they have any questions. • Communication is the most important thing! • (Curriculum Infusion Committee, March 2007)

  18. What can a TA do? More than you think…

  19. The Syllabus Setting the tone: -Institutional values: www.diversity.uconn.edu -Instructor values: personal -Students with disabilities -Expectations for communication

  20. The Syllabus -Instructor values: I am committed to providing you with an excellent course experience within an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. …I value academic excellence, academic integrity, and respect for one another….I expect all those participating in this course to abide by [UConn] policies concerning academic integrity, anti-harassment, and anti-discrimination…(p. 19, Branch, Mullennix, Cohn, 2007)

  21. The Syllabus -Students with disabilities: www.csd.uconn.edu The University is committed to achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for persons with disabilities. It is the policy that no qualified person be excluded from participating in any University program or activity, be denied the benefits of any program or activity, or other wise be subjected to discrimination…

  22. The Syllabus Guidelines for communication: • We should respect diverse points of view. We do not need to come to agreement on any particular issues; we can agree to disagree. • Our use of language should be respectful of other persons or groups. As your instructor, I will NOT let injurious statements pass without comment.

  23. The Syllabus Guidelines for communication: • You need not represent any group, only yourself. • If you feel uncomfortable with any aspect of the class environment, it is your responsibility to discuss it with the instructor. (Branch, Mullennix & Cohn, 2007)

  24. Classroom Guidelines • Create opportunities for all students to participate • Don’t call on first student to raise hand • Use pair and share techniques first to encourage more students to answer

  25. Classroom Guidelines • Create opportunities for all students to participate • How many of you would share your thoughts on this question with us? • Use group work to ensure everyone participates

  26. Classroom Guidelines • Rectify language patterns or examples that exclude or demean • Use both he and she and encourage students to do same • Watch gender-specific examples: “write your congressman”

  27. Classroom Guidelines • Rectify language patterns or examples that exclude or demean • Don’t make assumptions about students’ families or socioeconomic status • Avoid comment about students’ social activities that tacitly assume all students are heterosexual.

  28. Classroom Guidelines • Use case studies, examples and anecdotes from a variety of cultural and social contexts. • Mid or end of semester evaluation: • To what extent did the instructor foster a class environment in which diverse points of view were respected?

  29. Classroom Guidelines • Convey same respect and confidence in abilities of all your students. • Instructor expectations self-fulfilling • Don’t try to protect any group of students • Be evenhanded in acknowledging good work. (Tools for Teaching, Davis, 1993, p. 41)

  30. Reflective Practice Questions to ask yourself

  31. All good people agree,And all good people say,All nice people, like us, are WeAnd everyone else is They.But if you cross over the sea,Instead of over the way,You may end by (think of it!) looking on WeAs only a sort of They!Rudyard Kipling“We and They”

  32. Reflection Questions • How do your own experiences, values, beliefs and stereotypes influence your knowledge and understanding of groups that are different from your own? • Do I expect that Asian students will do better? • Do I assume that all students of color are alike?

  33. Reflection Questions • Do I imagine that Latinos will express their opinions in non-academic language? • Do I assume Asian women are likely to be quiet? • Do I expect students of color to participate less?

  34. Reflection Questions • How do your own experiences, values, beliefs and stereotypes inform the way you interact with students whose racial background is different from your own? • Am I afraid of students whose background differs markedly from mine?

  35. Reflection Questions • Do I rationalize or tolerate lack of participation from minority students more than I would from other students? Do I think their silence means ignorance? • If an issue involving race comes up, do I assume a student of color will know the most about it?

  36. Reflection Questions • Am I afraid that students of color might not be fully competitive with other students? How do I define “fully competitive”? • Am I uncomfortable when students of color become emotional in the classroom?

  37. Reflection Questions • How do your own experiences, values, beliefs and stereotypes influence the way you behave in the classroom? - Do I call on all students equally? - How open am I to multiple modes of discourse?

  38. Reflection Questions • Am I impatient with students who are non-native English speakers? Do I equate language proficiency with intelligence? • Do I respond to white students’ responses, or male students’ responses as if they had more intellectual weight?

  39. In Summary “…the most serious barrier to taking learning seriously lies in our failure to take individual differences seriously…but learning is about individuals, and improving learning is about understanding what goes on in the mind of the learner.” (What Do We Know about Students’ Learning and How Do We Know It?, K. Patricia Cross, 2005)

  40. In Summary Does this mean we have to change what we do to suit each and every student, or that students can demand that we do things in ways they like? NO!

  41. In Summary “Teaching is about that meeting point of well conceived collective standards and goals that apply to all, plus the awareness that the “all” is composed of individuals.” (S. Schafer, Professor of history)

  42. In Summary To continue this conversation… Lunchtime Seminar (www.fdp.uconn.edu) Creating Inclusive Classes by Dr. Cathleen Love Monday, 9/17 11-1, CUE 318

  43. Endnotes Prepared by: Catherine Ross, Institute for Teaching & Learning, catherine.ross@uconn.edu Bibliography Branche, J., J. Mullennix & E. Cohn. (2007). Diversity Across the Curriculum. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing. Cross, K. P. (2005) What Do We Know About Students’ Learning and How Do We Know It?”. Center for Studies in Higher Education. University of California, Berkeley, CSHE.7.05. Davis, B.G., (1993) Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning, Teaching in Racially Diverse College Classrooms, Harvard University. Saunders, S. and Kardia, D. Creating Inclusive College Classrooms. Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

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