HUMANIZE

When I started teaching, I was advised to "act older and professional" and "be very strict" so that students would respect me as a new instructor fresh out of graduate school. I followed that advice in some ways and ignored it in others. I was strict because I was afraid my students would not respect me if I wasn't. I dressed professionally not only because I wanted to look older, but because it's a part of my culture. When you value someone's time and presence, you honor them by dressing up.

Something that I hesitated to do what to show any vulnerability to my students. A colleague told me they might take advantage of any "weakness" I exhibit. In that sense, I contributed to the misconception that math instructors are cold and machine-like.

Earning tenure provided me with the safety to more freely experiment with pedagogical approaches in my classes. One of the practices that I first implemented was to share a brief version of my life story and struggles with my students during the first day of class. Then, I extended that to other activities where my students had opportunities to share their own stories and struggles with their peers and me. Showing vulnerability can sometimes be uncomfortable, but it has really created a sense of community in my classes.

While taking the Humanizing OTL class with Fabiola Torres, I was able to see how humanized interactions can also happen in an online class. I also understand the value of a humanized teaching and learning experience for online students and how it contributes to their engagement and success in the course.

One of the aspects that I am most excited about working on is increasing my instructor presence in my online classes. Humanized teaching also supports all learners and aligns culturally relevant teaching/learning and equity-minded practices. As I think of my pedagogical and design practices for my fall courses, I will try to infuse the humanizing principle in all aspects of my online teaching. I plan to start by making one change in each area. When grading, I aim to provide students with video or audio feedback. I also plan to learn more about my students so that I can offer a more individualized experience that makes them feel valued and understood. Using a Google Form, I'll survey my students about their student backgrounds, the obstacles they are facing, and their preferences as learners.

Additionally, when it comes to struggling students, I know understand that I can't simply wait for them to contact me. I must reach out to them and show my care for them.