Good evening,
LOVE THE TITLE! You get my vote for hot topic! LOL! Several things, first I agree that we must forget colorblindness. I think it defeats the purpose of diversity. To say we “are all the same, think the same, do the same” denies the work that has been done to ensure “we all deserve equal treatment”. Those are two different conversations. Second, the bias tests are interesting. For some reason my brain always tries to figure out how to game the system.
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
Good evening Shaun,
Hahahaha….the position of “other” was brought up to me over the summer while I was home in Oregon doing volunteer work. Literally, I was volunteering at an animal shelter, driving meals on wheels, and helping the homeless (mostly made up of vets and LGBT youth). My oldest brother couldn’t comprehend how I was able to do such diverse work and when I’d talk about helping vets and LGBT youth he was aghast, as in, how could those two groups even get along. Let’s just say he’s super pro Trump. At one point he asked me if I had been converted to a communist or Muslim, yeah no joke. That was a fun dinner! LOL! Anyway, you are right we should prize and appeal to solutions that creative and collaborative. We’d get a lot more done!
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
Good evening Amy,
Absolutely! The listening piece is critical as we’ve learned this is a very difficult task to master. I love the description of moving from convincing to collaborating.
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
Good lord please don’t mention 2008 again. LOL….I know not much but I lost $8K in the market. I’ve never put a dime back in after that. You realize how much of the world as we see it is built upon smoke and mirrors. Stability is a great way to put the topic into context.
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
Good evening Saloumeh,
I am still putting my Ph.D. committee together but I’ve already decided the alternate or “other” member will not be from VT. Although not exactly the same thought process, that’s how much diversity needs to happen for me to trust their opinion. It seems a lot of professors here are like the Stepford Wives. LOL!
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
Yeah, now that you mention it I guess the “two heads” saying would be much more amplified if they were from diverse backgrounds! LOL!
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
Good evening Erin,
You are absolutely correct! Seriously, how boring would meetings be if we all thought the same way?
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
Good afternoon Arash,
You would use a building as a metaphor! LOL! Great points! Being “in control of the classroom without controlling it” is a brilliant statement that I really connected with. As someone who tends to have control (and likes it!!!) in most situations this would be a natural fit for me which is why I love teaching. I actually really enjoy being in front of the class and talking. I probably include 75% Q&A in my classes which is how I get student involvement to 1) check if they did the reading and 2) see how they express the knowledge in their own terms.
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
Good afternoon Sarah,
Really good stuff here! I had an instant visual of your classroom setting with the students only able to work with their neighbors and having to shimmy down the isle sideways! LOL! The physical environment we know affects learning and retention rates so it is a little sad to see you setup this way. I’m glad that you have found ways to change things up and get creative!
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
WOW! 185 students? That must be some motivation you need to even power up before stepping in front of them to teach. I’d be very nervous. I actually went to the CIDER conference on Saturday which was all about teaching to large classes. More or less the tips and tricks of the trade. I think until you actually do it though everything is just guess work. Can’t wait to experience it myself in real ife….not! LOL!
Thanks!
Cheers, Lehi
