As a white female, sometimes I don’t know when it is “okay” for me to discuss race and when it is not. I am sometimes nervous that because I am white, I may not have “a place” in discussing racial issues. That said, I am not sure I like the concept that people should be “colorblind” — I mean, I believe that nobody should judge others based on race, but I also think that to be “colorblind” would eliminate the diversity that makes everyone unique. While race unfortunately can polarize people, it also brings people together. Everyone should celebrate the color of his/her/their skin and not pretend that he/she/they is just like everyone else.
Author: erinleighvt
Comment on Brave Spaces Are Preferred by erinleighvt
Interesting. I also like the concept of a brave space, as you are right, it does encourage people to challenge themselves and come outside of their comfort zones. However, I wonder if safe spaces should still exist (or have a safe AND brave space), as there are likely many people who want somewhere safe to go but perhaps are not ready to be “brave” and talk themselves. A safe space implies that you don’t have to go to talk. You can just go and “be.” A brave space, in my opinion, has the connotation that you are expected to talk.
Comment on Mimicry … Crime or Flattery? by erinleighvt
Very well said! Yes — to be an authentic teacher, you must care about teaching first and foremost!
Comment on Mimicry … Crime or Flattery? by erinleighvt
Hi Ernesto! Thanks for your comments. I agree that professors should get advice from their colleagues as there is no point in re-inventing the wheel! However, I think it is also important that professors find the style that is best suited for not only their students but also for themselves and not just do something because someone else did, and it worked for him/her/them.
Comment on Mimicry … Crime or Flattery? by erinleighvt
I have definitely had TAs like that too — its too bad.
Comment on Mimicry … Crime or Flattery? by erinleighvt
I am too — this class is definitely helping me think about teaching differently!
Comment on Mimicry … Crime or Flattery? by erinleighvt
Ha – you caught me! I think that I am still figuring that out!
Comment on Mimicry … Crime or Flattery? by erinleighvt
Hey Chris ~ thanks for your comment! I think that it is very comendable that you work so hard to learn the material you are teaching! I know I had to teach myself several things before teaching the bio classes as well. Sadly, I have seen several TAs who don’t take the time to do this. Instead, they read off pre-made slides and are often unable to answer questions. This can also be true of professors. I agree though that it is really nice to have a TA or professor who shows vulnerability and does not pretend to be someone he/she/they is/are not or to know things that he/she/they do not know. I have seen TAs say “just google it” to students, and I don’t think that is okay. That doesn’t mean that we should hand everything to our students ~ they need to learn to find answers for themselves. But, we also should not just tell them to figure it out. It is our jobs to help them figure out how to figure out what they are learning.
Comment on Teaching as controlled improvisation by erinleighvt
I really appreciate your comment about making sure that no student is anonymous … I think that really hits the nail on the head. Why come to a class when your presence is (1) not even noticed and/or (2) not valued? Classes that actively engage students and allow them to be heard (whether in front of the entire class or in smaller group settings) tend to have better attendance. Students feel that their input, knowledge, experiences etc are valued. My favorite classes are always the ones where I get to speak up.
Comment on BEEEE Yourself by erinleighvt
I love the Aladdin reference! I can totally still hear that when you mention it (even though I have not seen the movie in over a decade). You are right — we can’t really be TAUGHT to TEACH. Sure, we can learn about methods that tend to work and how to effectively communicate … but, as we all know, being a teacher should be so much more than standing in front of a bunch of people talking incessantly about some specific topic. That is not how we interact with people on a daily basis and should not be how we interact with our students. They need to be engaged. The classroom should not be one-sided. It is so annoying when you are talking to someone and cannot get a word in — I think the same applies to the classroom. Students’ voices should be heard too!
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