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The liberation care provides.
The liberation care provides.
Christine Witkoski teaches Sociology and Geography in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Our conversation is intensely connected to the metaphor of ecology and interdependence. Her teaching is thoroughly integrated into her life and her values and her imagination. All of these pieces of her identity touch each other. She did me the honor, as others have, of considering my questions carefully and answering honestly and thoughtfully. We talk about how important it is to have the trust in each other to make this kind of exchange possible.
Below are her resources to connect students to MTC services as well as classroom resources on building trust.
How liberating it is to have a trustworthy environment to think and speak and share. Christine thinks so much about creating classroom communities that open up space for discovery and learning. The care that professors put into creating their classroom community can provide liberation: liberation of mind, of speech, of curiosity, and possibility. Christine and I think together about the revolutionary act of care in education—for students AND for faculty.
Come spend some time with Sociology.
Episode 9
Episode 9
Listen here to our ninth episode or subscribe on Apple or Spotify.
Creating a Classroom of Trust
Creating a Classroom of Trust
Christine has given a lot of thought and practice to developing class communities each semester. I asked her to put together some tips for building a trustworthy community in a classroom. Here are some guidelines she's developed over the years that you can adapt for your classes.
Resources for Trust-Building
Here are a few resources that Christine likes. Some may be for younger-age children but Christine finds them just as effective for higher education.
Growing Trust
Growing Trust
Here are five suggested steps for growing trust in the classroom.
Full Student Community Connection
Christine describes how she and Bob Witkowski asked themselves how they and other professors might better connect students to the considerable support services our college offers. Below are the tools they, with support from others, created.
Student Success LibGuide
Student Success LibGuide
Here is the LibGuide to MTC Student Resources, created by Christine and Bob, accessible through the MTC Library.
Student Self-Assessment
Student Self-Assessment
Here is the self assessment you can give to students to help them decide which services they could use that services MTC offers. They can then access the LibGuide to find those services.
Mentimeter, a Resource
Mentimeter, a Resource
Christine mentions that she offers the Student Success Self Assessment Survey through the Mentimeter platform. Here is the link to the service, which has a free level, that you can explore to see if it would be useful in your classes.
Voluntary Simplicity
As we puzzled over finding more time when there is no more time, Christine mentioned the Voluntary Simplicity Movement. Here are some resources if you're curious about that movement and what it suggests about improving one's life.
An Essay
An Essay
Here is an essay defining and exploring what voluntary simplicity is and is not and the benefits it seeks to offer.
A Conversation
A Conversation
In this 1998 conversation, Vicky Robin, author of "Your Money or Your Life," discusses voluntary simplicity.
Speak to Christine
Speak to Christine
Christine currently chairs the Strategic Planning Team on Delivering Excellent Instruction. In our conversation, she spoke to all MTC faculty, asking about your experience of teaching at the college. Specifically, she asked, what are the barriers to you offering the best instruction possible? What is it that motivates you most to offer the best instruction possible? If you'd like to answer those questions and get connected, email us today.
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