Learning is effectively facilitated when the classroom is for everyone. Approaching the physical and virtual classroom space with inclusivity, comfortability, and empathy is necessary. In every class I teach, I ensure that students have an instructional space that belongs to them. Students’ learning should always influence how things are taught. Centralizing a learner shifts the positions of student and teacher away from their traditional placements, and Maryellen Weimer (2002) states that through this process, the teacher changes from the “sage on the stage” to the “guide on the side.” This allows students to be inquirers and the teacher to facilitate learning. Decentralizing power in the classroom is also a central idea of Critical Pedagogy. Educating students in such a way that they become critical thinkers and actors who frequently question and examine the relations between theory and practice is part of this process.
In my classroom, students become agents of their learning and are empowered to think, question, and develop identities independently. For example, when teaching Introduction to Composition, I ask students to start by thinking about their experiences with reading and writing. We often end up discussing how education can operate as a system that oppresses people. As a result, they reexamine their negative experiences with a new perspective.
Active learning occurs in a student-centered context within the framework of objective standards and clear communication. My pedagogy emphasizes the assessment of student learning in the form of frequent low-stakes assignments of various kinds: quizzes, writing responses, and in-class discussions. I write comprehensive descriptive feedback on major assignments alongside an easy-to-read rubric, which is another way to promote confidence and resist punitive methodology in the classroom. By organizing frequent low-stakes assignments, I scaffold their learning process so that skills build on one another and they feel capable and prepared when they encounter a major writing assignment. This organization allows students to improve throughout the semester and ensures that one bad assignment is not a deal breaker.
Incorporating technology is integral to engaging learners and making course material accessible. As the world becomes increasingly global and cross-cultural, there is a case to be made for embracing digital media as communication. The affordances of using multimodality include opening opportunities for different learners, creating a more accessible space, and embracing global perspectives. Good design captures attention, enhances perception, increases comprehension, and improves credibility (Malamed, 2015), especially when teaching digital media. This includes embracing videos, podcasts, and music as course material and utilizing Google forms and collaborative Google docs during class. This also includes assigning multimedia presentations as assignments and using graphics, memes, gifs, and graphic design elements in the course design and materials.
Students must see themselves represented in the course materials in my classroom. Culturally Responsive Teaching (Ladson-Billings, 1995) recognizes how students’ cultural references impact their ability to learn and feel safe in a classroom. My pedagogy stresses that every student’s prior knowledge is an asset to classroom learning and is reflected in the framing of questions, the building of assignments, and the course materials. In every class I teach, we have conversations about our identities and frames of reference and how that impacts our point of view. In a decentered and collaborative classroom, students should feel empowered to share their ideas and experiences, and their contributions should be valued.
In World Literature, one of my teaching objectives is that students critically examine the historical and sociocultural context of the texts we engage with and think critically about who tells what stories. To this end, we discuss what is happening in the world when the author is writing, who is writing, their possible goals and purposes, and how the content mirrors societal norms or rejects them. This holistic approach bolsters student engagement and encourages the lifelong practice of asking questions and seeking answers. By embracing collaborative learning and critical pedagogy in the classroom, we unravel layers of learning possibilities and strengthen students’ skills in the process.
In my classroom, students become agents of their learning and are empowered to think, question, and develop identities independently. For example, when teaching Introduction to Composition, I ask students to start by thinking about their experiences with reading and writing. We often end up discussing how education can operate as a system that oppresses people. As a result, they reexamine their negative experiences with a new perspective.
Active learning occurs in a student-centered context within the framework of objective standards and clear communication. My pedagogy emphasizes the assessment of student learning in the form of frequent low-stakes assignments of various kinds: quizzes, writing responses, and in-class discussions. I write comprehensive descriptive feedback on major assignments alongside an easy-to-read rubric, which is another way to promote confidence and resist punitive methodology in the classroom. By organizing frequent low-stakes assignments, I scaffold their learning process so that skills build on one another and they feel capable and prepared when they encounter a major writing assignment. This organization allows students to improve throughout the semester and ensures that one bad assignment is not a deal breaker.
Incorporating technology is integral to engaging learners and making course material accessible. As the world becomes increasingly global and cross-cultural, there is a case to be made for embracing digital media as communication. The affordances of using multimodality include opening opportunities for different learners, creating a more accessible space, and embracing global perspectives. Good design captures attention, enhances perception, increases comprehension, and improves credibility (Malamed, 2015), especially when teaching digital media. This includes embracing videos, podcasts, and music as course material and utilizing Google forms and collaborative Google docs during class. This also includes assigning multimedia presentations as assignments and using graphics, memes, gifs, and graphic design elements in the course design and materials.
Students must see themselves represented in the course materials in my classroom. Culturally Responsive Teaching (Ladson-Billings, 1995) recognizes how students’ cultural references impact their ability to learn and feel safe in a classroom. My pedagogy stresses that every student’s prior knowledge is an asset to classroom learning and is reflected in the framing of questions, the building of assignments, and the course materials. In every class I teach, we have conversations about our identities and frames of reference and how that impacts our point of view. In a decentered and collaborative classroom, students should feel empowered to share their ideas and experiences, and their contributions should be valued.
In World Literature, one of my teaching objectives is that students critically examine the historical and sociocultural context of the texts we engage with and think critically about who tells what stories. To this end, we discuss what is happening in the world when the author is writing, who is writing, their possible goals and purposes, and how the content mirrors societal norms or rejects them. This holistic approach bolsters student engagement and encourages the lifelong practice of asking questions and seeking answers. By embracing collaborative learning and critical pedagogy in the classroom, we unravel layers of learning possibilities and strengthen students’ skills in the process.
References
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491. https://doi.org/10.2307/1163320
Malamed, C. (2015). Visual Design Solutions. Wiley.
Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. Jossey-Bass.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491. https://doi.org/10.2307/1163320
Malamed, C. (2015). Visual Design Solutions. Wiley.
Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. Jossey-Bass.