Teaching
Courses taught as a primary instrutor (at University of Arizona):
Courses assisted in as a graduate student (at University of Arizona):
Courses assisted in as an undergraduate student (at Northern Illinois University):
Professional Development through Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL):
Participants read two articles: 1) I AM SO TIRED (May 2020) and 2) Diversity and Inclusion Are Not Enough (June 2020). In the light of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, both of these articles emphasized the prevalent hopelessness that lingers as the efforts for equal rights to live and succeed as a black person amount to no permanent improvements. The goal of this workshop was to describe how diversity impacts learning. It focused on highlighting how diversity enhances the learning experience, while how the presence of inequities hinders student learning. This workshop emphasized how the “numerical” representation of different types of people deems inadequate if a true sense of belonging is not cultivated in a learning environment. However, most institutions, academic or non-academic, mostly only opt to represent diversity with numbers without any meaningful efforts to make the people representing them feel truly included. Some of the techniques and strategies from the workshop that stayed with me are: 1) Usage of pH scale to understand how to eradicate racism. We have to be an antiracist, (analogous to base) to fight the racist (analogous to acid) to get to a part where it starts to feel there is equality (analogous to neutral on the pH scale), 2) Have the same high expectations for each of your students, and 3) Have the course content reflect diversity (use diverse names).
The author organized effective teaching practices into five categories: awareness, preparation, reflection, support, practice. All these categories take into account the general/common traits that come with being geeky, introverted, and/or a nerd (abbreviated as GINs by the author) and how these traits can be used as a strength to teach in the most effective manner that works foremost for the students. The book tackles strategies on how teaching should be approached as a situational reality, disregarding what has previously occurred and avoiding speculation about what could happen. It emphasizes that teaching is most effective when the teacher is alert and present “in the right now” in every student interaction (awareness). The book also highlights the importance of being well-prepared while nourishing care for students and student learning, maintaining immediacy and rapport, being authentic and enthusiastic, and having clear communication and plans (preparation). Additionally, this book gathers great guidance and points on the importance of reflecting and how it directly affects effective teaching and learning. Reflecting upon teaching experiences builds upon prior knowledge guiding on what works and what needs more work, reducing the margin to make mistakes and increasing learning opportunities (reflection). The book also points out how the strategies covered under awareness, preparation, and reflection become much more effective with support from colleagues and peers. Discussions with people with different background and experiences add unique perspectives, insights, and expertise that provides a greater window of improvement (support). Finally, and most importantly, the book iterates that effective teaching is a dynamic product of constant practice. The effectiveness of a teacher improves with experience and active effort in staying vigilant and prepared while reflecting upon those experiences and seeking support (practice).
The workshop focused on understanding the differences between growth mindset (ability and competence to grow with effort) and the sense of belonging (belongingness in academic community) and how they complement each other. Academic sense of belongingness occurs when students feel socially connected, supported, and respected in all academic interactions and environments. Students are able to trust their instructors to value them and not treat them according to any stereotypes associated with their social identities. Consequently, students feel comfortable engaging in classrooms, are open to critical feedback, are motivated and have an overall postive attitude to face any challenges faced in learning. The workshop also provided participants with techniques to form connections with students, such as the importance of introducing yourself as an instructor, learning student names, using icebreakers, as well as foster a growth mindset on their own. The workshop focused on how instructor's mindset and their willingness to encourage students to do their best work to learn and develop directly impacts student achievements and motivation.