https://tinyurl.com/HCCdisrupts2021
Locate your syllabus. As you examine it, place yourself in the seat of a student and mentally respond to the following questions.
How do you feel about the culture of the class?
Do you feel welcomed and included?
What are your perception of the instructor's teaching style?
What are your perceptions of the instructor's attitudes toward teaching the subject? Does s/he seem to enjoy it?
Would you feel comfortable approaching the instructor and asking for assistance?
What are your perceptions of the instructor's attitudes toward teaching you? Does s/he seem interested in your learning?
A first generation student?
An African American student?
A Latinx student?
An LGBTQ student?
A financially insecure student?
A student whose native language is not English?
A student with limited access to a laptop/computer, but unlimited access to a smartphone?
In general, a syllabus is used to inform your students about your class. Students should be able to glance through the syllabus quickly and get a sense of who is teaching the course, what they will learn from it, the materials they will need to participate in the course, who they should contact if they need help with an aspect of the course, and what they will have to do to succeed in the course. But what if the can enable a student to lean in, to want to invest their time in
Let's begin our redesign journey!
An equity minded syllabus is a culturally responsive teaching practice. In short, culturally responsive teaching is a the practice of bridging student experiences into a successful academic experience. It requires instructors to design into their course validation, affirmation, and the building knowledge while bridging student experiences into the learning environments. As a result, students feel seen and heard.
An equity minded syllabus enables instructors to send the message to students that will be cared for as learners, as significant contributors and supported in a perceived intimidating environment.
An equity minded syllabus challenges our traditional syllabus. It requires us to admit our biases on student behavior, revisit the purpose of the course design, and accept that our core values in education is influenced by our own story that is different from our students.
An equity minded syllabus requires courage to CHANGE our syllabus, remove traditional, intimidating language, reflect on our student expectations (Are expectations really about learning?), and reframe our role as practitioners in learning.
Becoming equity minded is a process. It doesn't happen overnight, and it requires us to reflect on our practice. There is no expectation to be fully equity minded and perfect in what we do. So let's remove that academic armor and expose our vulnerability. Embrace the first pancake. The first pancake is never perfect. But it helps our process in getting to the yummy one. Move through imperfections because good stuff is coming. You’re the expert in your discipline. Personify success versus perfection.