when and where we can be our authentic selves.

Retweet retweet retweet! I can’t agree with you more. I feel that way many times and in many situations its about the choice we make and the reactions we will get from them. What and who we could loose and/or gain? When we speak up “passionately” about topics that deal with our identities we may make some uncomfortable but we may also inspire the next voice to speak up. We have to always remember that at least it is something that continues to push me to speak up. It is still sad though that we have to choose and observe when and where we can.

I love your focus here, Selva. Just the part about getting the ego out of the way is huge. And yes, meeting students where they are….why do we struggle so much with that idea?

I agree with all of the above — plus, I think trivia minute is a great idea!

Excellent on all counts.

Yes. You must be your authentic teaching self — otherwise, what’s the point? (We can talk about the overlap between the various dimensions of one’s authentic self (teaching, parenting, etc.), but I’ll just say YES to passion, yes to being outspoken, yes to advocating for the ideals and experiences you hold to be true and meaningful. (Yes to being practical and strategic as well — but NO to accommodating your authentic self (teaching or otherwise) to other people’s comfort zones just because that’s what they expect.)

I agree, Selva—I think we can learn a lot from our students. Perhaps they can be the most helpful in disrupting some of the failed pedagogies from previous generations.

Thank you for the blog! I agree with your comment that “creating a common rubric, but also leave a gap for interpretation”. I also think that this is a very good strategy to address the individual differences in learning. It might not be difficult to consider the differences in teaching, but back to assessment, how to find a balance spot between fairness and individual differences can be challenging.

Thanks for tor post. I agree, no classroom culture is the same, even with the same course content. The teacher sets the tone for the learning environment. Relationship building must take place. Knowing who you are teaching is key.

I loved your post, Luisa. What do you think of teachers thinking of themselves as “facilitators?” I am thinking of your reference to Friere in asking.