Tips for a Successful Community

To Be An Effective Member of Our Learning Community:

• Complete all your assigned activities on time

• Thoughtfully and respectfully engage in the live discussions, interactions, and Zoom meetings

• Start your assignments early and mindfully engage in peer feedback opportunities both as author and reader

• Contact me proactively and early if you need help with assignments

• Contact me if you are looking for campus resources

Engaging in Courageous Conversations

Throughout the course, we will be entering a variety of important social and cultural conversations. We often have strong positions on these topics, but we want to make sure that we continue to foster a positive community in our classroom. Because writing is a conversation, we want to work on crafting and sharing our perspectives in an effective and respectful manner. While these conversations may be difficult, intimidating, or uncomfortable, it's important to work together to move our culture forward.

Here are a few things to keep in mind, as we engage in courageous conversation:

The Four Agreements of Courageous Conversations:

1. Stay engaged: Staying engaged means “remaining morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue” (p.59)

2. Experience discomfort: This norm acknowledges that discomfort is inevitable, especially, in dialogue about privilege, and that participants make a commitment to bring issues into the open. It is not talking about these issues that create divisiveness. The divisiveness already exists in the society and in our schools. It is through dialogue, even when uncomfortable, the healing and change begin.

3. Speak your truth: This means being open about thoughts and feelings and not just saying what you think others want to hear.

4. Expect and accept nonclosure: This agreement asks participants to “hang out in uncertainty” and not rush to quick solutions, especially in relation to racial understanding, which requires ongoing dialogue (pp.58-65).