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Creating a Safe and Engaging Classroom Climate

For learning to occur when the class material is controversial, both tension and safety need to exist. There needs to be a safe classroom environment, so that students sense they can speak their minds. However, safety is not the only consideration. When students move out of their comfort zone to what Pat Griffin refers to as "our learning edge, 1 " they can expand understanding, take in a new perspective, and stretch their awareness. Students' internal reactions to class activities and classmates-feelings of annoyance, anger, anxiety, surprise, confusion, or defensiveness-may be signs that their way of thinking about things is being challenged. "All learning and change involves some degree of culture shock to the degree that they challenge our basic perspectives. Much can be learned through culture shock that can not be learned any other way, 2 " Tension in the classroom, when it does not get out of control or explode, can prompt learning. Safety is not a goal in itself, but a prerequisite for the kind of classroom climate that can result in learning. There is much that a teacher can do to promote a safe, engaging classroom climate:

Arrange the classroom in a way that maximizes interaction; ideally, students should be seated in a circle or horseshoe shape that maximizes the amount of eye contact students can have with each other. Encourage but not compel participation in whole class discussions. The teacher may state that s/he will not call on students individually to participate, and students have the right to not participate. The teacher can bring people into discussion indirectly- using prompts, eye contact, and statements such as "Let's hear from the back (or second) row" or "Let's hear from some people who haven't been talking." Perhaps most importantly, do not expect minority students to educate their peers, to speak for their race or group. Be clear about the distinctions between course grades, teacher expectations of students, and class norms.

Introduce the concept of triggers. Model learning about diversity. Actively intervene in the class when necessary.

Clarity on the distinction between grading, teacher expectations, and class norms The section on clarity on the course's purpose, student learning objectives, and gradingdiscusses this issue. There are several aspects of this that relate to establishing and maintaining a safe and engaging classroom environment. If class participation is considered as part of the grade, the teacher needs to make clear that students are not evaluated on the degree to which they ascribe to the teacher's beliefs. Teachers can state their hopes for students in the class (not the same as either learning objectives or class norms). These could include students':

Developing their abilities to understand the perspectives of others; Developing mutual respect; Making a commitment to understand positions that they do not understand from the context or point of view of their peers; Taking risks in speaking honestly in the class in the service of their learning.

Class norms can be introduced in detail the first day of class and reinforced during the semester. These should be written prominently in the course syllabus. Examples of class norms used by faculty members are:

Students should respect confidentiality-personal information or student comments should not get shared outside the classroom; Students should listen respectfully to different perspectives-let people finish sentences before responding; Students should respond to what has been said, not the person saying it-responses should not be personalized; Students should use "I statements" (such as "I believe that . . ) rather than generalizing or playing the devil's advocate (but don't you think that. . .?); Students should speak for themselves and not for others (including groups to which they belong); Students have the right to be silent in large group discussions.

Triggers An offhand comment in a class discussion or a university policy that seems inoffensive to many people can cause an individual to feel diminished, threatened, discounted, attacked, or stereotyped. This "trigger" is an emotional response; while the individual does not feel personally threatened, an aspect of the person's social identity (or the social identity of members of another social group) feels violated. A word, phrase, or sentence that seems harmless to some people may trigger an emotional reaction in others. Examples of phrases that could be triggers are:

"I don't see differences; people are just people to me." "If everyone just worked hard, they could achieve." "I think people of color are just blowing things out of proportion."

One's emotional response can include anger, confusion, hurt, fear, surprise, and embarrassment. There are a number of responses to triggers, some of which are more effective and more appropriate than others, depending on the situation. Model learning about diversity Mark Kiselica, a psychologist who conducts multicultural training, stresses the importance of teachers self-disclosing their own journey in becoming more culturally sensitive and knowledgeable. Kiselica states that "the process of developing multicultural awareness and sensitivity is a journey marked by fears, painful self-reflection, and joyful growth 4 ," and students can learn from an instructors who share their mistakes, incidents that led to their learning, and what they have gained from the process. There is a fine line for teachers between presenting oneself as a learner on a journey toward greater diversity awareness and self-awareness and an expert who has reached expert status on issues of diversity and multiculturalism. Students often react favorably to the first, almost always negatively to a person who wants to be seen as the authority on these issues. Actively intervening in the class when necessary There will be times in every course, even those in which students are generally in agreement with the aims of the course and the class norms, in which the instructor will have to intervene. This may involve redirecting students when students are not using "I statements," overgeneralizing about a group of people, or treating their own experience as applicable to all situations. A safe learning environment is not only fostered at the start of the course but maintained during the course of the semester. In many classes, there are critical moments that can confirm in students' minds how safe the classroom is, how committed is the teacher to equitable participation and student learning. This may happen the first time one student harshly criticizes another, or the first time a loaded question is directed to the teacher. If the instructor intervenes or responds in a way that is effective, this can set the stage for more and more honest student interaction. In situations where instructors do not think that they handled the situation well, it may be advisable to revisit the situation at a later time with the entire class, asking students to reflect on the situation and in pairs or small groups come up with ways that the class can respond to critical incidents in the future. Safety for the instructor In some situations, depending on the social identity of the instructor, safety in the classroom can be an issue for the teacher as well as for the students. While faculty of color may be seen as having more first-hand knowledge of diversity issues, on most campuses students are more likely to contest and doubt the expertise of faculty whose identity diverges from the white, male, middle-class, heterosexual norm. Faculty of color, especially female, report that they have to prove they are capable and are challenged more strongly than their white male colleagues. The

support of the department and department chairperson is seen as essential by faculty members encountering difficulties and challenges from students in teaching on issues of diversity.

1 Griffin, Pat (1997). Introductory module for the single issue courses. In Teaching for diversity and social justice: A sourcebook , Adams, Maurianne, Bell , Lee Ann, and Griffin , Pat, eds. New York : Routledge, pp. 61-81. 2 Kiselica, Mark S. (1999) Reducing prejudice: The role of the empathic-confrontative instructor, In Confronting prejudice and racism during multicultural training , Mark S. Kiselica, ed. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association, p. 140. 2 Pederson, Paul (1999). Confronting racism through increased awareness, knowledge, and skill as a culture-centered primary prevention strategy. In 3 Yang, Raymond K. (2003) Socratic and therapeutic underpinnings of self-disclosure in the classroom. In Teaching diversity; Challenges and complexities, identities and integrity , edited by W.M. Timpson, S.S. Cannette, E. Borrayo, and R. Wong. Madison , WI : Atwood Press, pp. 77-90 4 Kees, Nathalie. (2003). Creating safe learning environments. In Teaching diversity; Challenges and complexities, identities and integrity , edited by W.M. Timpson, S.S.Cannette, E. Borrayo, and R. Wong. Madison , WI : Atwood Press, pp. 55-64. 5 Canetto, Silvio, Timpson, William, Borroyo, Evelinn, and Yang, Raymond. Teaching about human diversity: Lessons learned and recommendations. In Teaching diversity; Challenges and complexities, identities and integrity , edited by W.M. Timpson, S.S.Cannette, E. Borrayo, and R. Wong. Madison , WI : Atwood Press, pp. 275-292.

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GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism PRLS 316Outdoor Education and Leadership Fall 2009

DAY/TIME: PROFESSOR: OFFICE LOCATION: OFFICE HOURS:

Friday 10:30 a.m. 1:15 p.m. Dr. Laurie Harmon 204 Bull Run Hall Tuesdays 12:00 2:00 p.m. and by appointment

LOCATION: EMAIL ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: FAX NUMBER:

247 Bull Run Hall lharmon3@gmu.edu 703-993-4565 703-993-2025

PREREQUISITES None.

COURSE DESCRIPTION Focuses on promotion of lifelong health and fitness via noncompetitive and informal outdoor activities. Introduces safety, skills, and leadership techniques. Covers sustainable use, conservation, and stewardship of natural resources.

COURSE OBJECTIVES At the completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Discuss the need for outdoor education/recreation in American society today by: a. Understanding the history of leisure in American culture. b. Identifying the psychological benefits of outdoor recreation and education.

c. Collecting and documenting current articles relating to leisure, health, and outdoor recreation trends.

d.

Identifying the differences among national, regional, and local conservation agencies and their roles in outdoor recreation/education.

e. Identifying ways outdoor recreation activities benefit youth in schools to become self-motivated learners.

2. Learn the essentials of group building and team building by: a. Participating as a class in Group Initiative activities

b. Identifying and defining the theories which support the educational benefits of experiential education. c. Being involved in and learning a variety of team building activities to incorporate into classroom learning or classroom activities to promote mutual respect, support for others, and cooperative participation.

3. Develop and plan an outdoor recreation lesson for school aged youth: a. Converting course material and field experience into an Outdoor Recreation lesson plan which incorporates Fairfax County Program of Studies for Physical Education. Teaching an activity from your lesson plan to fellow students through an in-class presentation.

b.

4. Learn a variety of outdoor skills and develop an appreciation for the outdoors by: a. Developing a Leave No Trace land ethic through direct involvement in outdoor recreation activities. b. Practicing and participating in hands-on outdoor recreation and outdoor education activities.

COURSE OVERVIEW We are all held to the standards of the George Mason University Honor Code. Because your contributions are so important to this course, we will all be expected to attend all class sections, actively participate in class discussions, complete in-class exercises and fulfill all assignments. Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the specified date due. Papers received AFTER 10:30 a.m. will be considered late and receive a 20% deduction in points per 24 hour period. If you have an extreme emergency or are participating in a pre-approved university-sponsored function, there may be some exceptions. However, youll need to discuss these issues with me prior to the due date in order to be considered for exception. I also recommend you make back-up copies of your assignments since computers have been known to crash.

Communication is an important part of this course, therefore, I ask that you check our website, http://courses.gmu.edu each morning for course communications. Be particularly aware of weather announcements.

Upon completion of this course, students will meet the following competencies of the National Recreation and Park Association Council on Accreditation:

8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06:01 8.09 8.10 8.14:06 8.15 8.16

Understanding of the significance of play, recreation, and leisure throughout the life span Understanding of the interrelationship between leisure behavior and the natural environment Understanding of environmental ethics and its relationship to leisure behavior History and development of the profession Understanding of the role, interrelationship, and use of diverse delivery systems addressing recreation, park resources, and leisure Understanding of the importance of leisure service delivery systems for diverse populations Implementation of programs/events. Understanding of group dynamics and processes Ability to use various leadership techniques to enhance individual, group, and community experiences

REQUIRED READINGS

Gilbertson, K., Bates, T., McLaughlin, T. & Ewert, A. (2006). Outdoor Education: Methods and Strategies. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Louv, R. (2008). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books.

LAB FEE:

Several activities will be conducted outside of the classroom. Students must remit a non-refundable Lab Fee of $15 (checks payable to George Mason University) to the course instructor by Friday, September 12, 2009.

Requirements Exam

Percentage
20 25 25 30 100%

Semester Project
Class Participation

Class Assignments
TOTAL

Grading Scale A+ A A= 98 100 = 94 97 = 90 93 B+ B B= 88 89 = 84 87 = 80 83 C+ C C= 78 79 = 74 77 = 70 73 D F = 60 69 = 0 59

All students are held to the standards of the George Mason University Honor Code [See http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/9798/honorcod.html] University policy states that all sound emitting devices shall be turned off during class unless otherwise authorized by the professor Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with the Office of Disability Resources and inform the instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the semester [See www.gmu.edu/student/drc] For additional School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism information, please visit the website at http://rht.gmu.edu.

PRLS 316 COURSE SCHEDULE Fall 2009

Last revised: September 8, 2009

DATE Friday September 4

TOPIC Introduction to class objectives and goals. Team building activities. Review course materials. Introduce Take a Child Outside Activity Introduce Journal assignment. Introduce Reading team moderating assignment.

ASSIGNMENTS Handout: Outdoor Education Competencies

Friday September 11 (end @ 12:30 pm)

History of Outdoor Recreation and Leisure The value of outdoor education/recreation Interrelationship of Experiential Ed, Outdoor Rec, Phys Ed Identify types of OR activities

Read: Outdoor Education Chap 1 & 2

Friday September 18

Introduce Leave No Trace Principles - LNT activity Leadership Activities at HEMLOCK OVERLOOK REGIONAL PARK Meet there by 11:00 a.m.

Read: Outdoor Education Chap 3 & 4

Friday September 25 Friday October 2 Friday

NO CLASS MEETING TODAY (good day for teams to meet and/or Take a Child Outside!) Reading Team #1 moderating Students share Take a Child Outside Activity Team Development Meet at The EDGE (Masons Center for Teambuilding and Organizational Learning) at the PW Campus

Read: Outdoor Education Chap 5 & 6 Read: Last Child Chap 1, 2 & 3 Read: Outdoor Education Chap 5 & 6

October 9 Friday October 16 Friday October 23 Debrief from Teambuilding Activity Current trends & economic factors Introduce Outdoor Recreation Lesson Plan assignment Reading team #2 moderating Friday October 30 Introduction to creating Outdoor Recreation Lesson Plans Tips, techniques, teaching strategies sharing and discussion Reading team #3 moderating Friday November 6 Natural resource based recreation, Wilderness and wildland resources, resources management concepts and issues. Submit FINAL outlines for OR Lesson Plans Reading team #4 moderating Friday November 13 Continue with Outdoor Recreation Lesson Plans Reading team #5 moderating NRPA - NO CLASS MEETING TODAY

JOURNAL DUE Read: Last Child Chap 4, 5 & 6 Read: Outdoor Education Chap 7 Last Child Chap 7 & 8

Read: Outdoor Education Chap 8 Last Child Chap 9 & 10 Read: Outdoor Education Chap 9 & 10

Read: Outdoor Education Chap 12 Last Child Chap 11 & 12 JOURNAL DUE

Friday November 20 Friday November 27 Friday December 4 Friday

Reading team #6 moderating Final Exam review & discussion THANKSGIVING NO CLASS MEETING TODAY

Read: Last Child Chap 13 & 14

Class presentations of Outdoor Recreation Lesson Plan

Read: Last Child Chap 15 & 17 Read: Last Child Chap 18, 19 & 20

Class presentations of Outdoor Recreation Lesson Plan

December 11 Friday, December 18 Final Exam from 10:30 12 noon

Note: Faculty reserves the right to alter the schedule as necessary.

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Featured: What Are Allergies? Grilling Guide 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. eHow Education Parents of Students Communicate with Teachers Classroom Communication Techniques

Classroom Communication Techniques

By James Withers, eHow Contributor

The communication process is vital to effective learning within a classroom environment. Classroom instruction that produces positive results acknowledges the need for a liberal use of nonverbal cues, student involvement and team communication.

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How to Build Communication in the Classroom

How to Reflect on Classroom Management

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1. Delivering Instruction
o

Whether by means of direct or indirect communication, instructors must convey instruction to students within a classroom. When lecturing or describing assignments, a teacher must gauge the comfort level of each of his students with his communication style. For example, if he explicitly defines rules and regulations associated with classwork, he may help students to be clearly aware of their boundaries, but may also lead them to feel micromanaged. In actual practice, communication within the classroom tends to be a happy compromise between both extremes, being neither exclusively direct or indirect in nature.

Soliciting Participation
o

Student involvement during classroom discussions typically fosters a healthy communication process. Students should be coaxed to participate in the classroom, despite the fact that many students are reticent to voice their opinions. The solicitation of participation serves multiple purposes. Students observe that their questions are worthy of being answered, can freely exchange ideas with one another and can build confidence as they express themselves in public. Often, instructors can quickly identify weak areas of student understanding when they are invited to speak up during a class session. Sponsored Links

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Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

o

Communication within a classroom context relies just as heavily on written instruction, body language and implicit expectancies as it does on verbal cues. Douglas A. Parker, author of "Confident Communication: Speaking Tips for Educators," advises that two-thirds of an instructor's message is contained in his nonverbal language. Educators should devote attention to the use of appropriate gestures, facial expressions and constructive use of physical space when teaching a class of students.

Team Building
o

Acquisition of essential learning concepts is reinforced when students are encouraged to incorporate team communication skills within the classroom. Group work allows students to advance a division of responsibilities as well as to provide one another with peer support. Educators should monitor teams as they operate within a classroom, helping students to establish consensus regarding their approach to the material being studied.

Assessments
o

In order to assess student mastery of concepts touched upon during classroom instruction, an educator should compel his students to demonstrate their knowledge through written or oral tests. Written tests are familiar to students, who undergo a battery of standardized tests from grade school until they are deeply entrenched within their university years. Oral tests, by contrast, are more sparingly used and may permit educators to detect learning disabilities in children.

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References

Confident Communication: Speaking Tips for Educators; Douglas A. Parker; 2003 (pp. 62 and 63)

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Strategies for Inclusive Teaching: Foster Equitable Class Participation

There are many ways to participate in class. Equitable class participation does not necessarily mean that all students are expected to participate in the same way, or even the same amount. Rather, the goal is to make sure that students are able to participate in class in ways that will help them achieve the learning goals for the course, and that no one is kept from participating as a result of the way the course is taught. Student engagement in class is greatly influenced by the expectations that instructors set for classroom behavior, teaching strategies that are employed, and ways student interactions are structured during class. Strategies to set the stage for more equitable class participation include the following. Through these steps, instructors help align students expectations with instructor intentions to ensure that all students recognize their presence in class is valued, and their contributions to class are welcome.

Plan Ahead Use the First Day of Class to Set Expectations Look for Opportunities to Invite Participation Provide Feedback Seek Feedback Honor Student Diversity

Foster Equitable Class Participation Plan Ahead for Class Participation

It may seem to go without saying that instructors should plan ahead, but we find that many instructors think of planning in terms of what they will be teaching, and often think of participation as something that spontaneously arises during class. However, equitable class participation rarely happens by accident. Making decisions about class participation in advance, and making them explicit to students, can go a long way toward aligning student expectations with instructor goals for more equitable class participation. Here is a range of possibilities to consider when planning ahead:

Goals for Participation possibilities include:

o o o

discovering new material exploring different perspectives inviting students to relate relevant experiences

Types of Participation possibilities include:

o o o

large group discussion small group activities face-to-face or online

Student Preparation possibilities include:

o o o

reading assignments reflective writing small group work to prepare for large group interaction

Facilitating Participation possibilities include:

o o o

managing "wait time" in a discussion acknowledging student contributions incorporating student input into following instruction

Assessment of Participation possibilities include:

o o o

communicating expectations to students providing assessment criteria providing clear feedback

Related Resources
Active Learning More and Better Class Participation. CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 4(1) Strategies for Inclusive Teaching. Chapter 2 of Teaching for Inclusion, a publication of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Teaching through Discussion. CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 2(3)

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Foster Equitable Class Participation Use the First Day of Class to Set Expectations
One way for instructors to communicate expectations is to add a statement to the syllabus and talk with the students on the first day of class about the role of participation in the course.
o

First Day of Class ideas and resources

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Foster Equitable Class Participation Look for Opportunities to Invite Participation

Here are a few examples of ways to invite student participation:
o

Give students time to formulate questions or responses. The wait time will often seem longer to you than it does to students, so be sure to give them enough time to catch up, think through the issue, and put their thoughts into words. Acknowledge all contributions, even if they aren't what you were looking for. In questions of fact, point out what's partially right in a wrong answer, as well as where it goes off-track. Remind students that questions are welcome, and that the person who asks a question is doing a favor for all the other students who are silently wondering the same thing. Require students to visit TAs' or instructor's office hours once every two weeks. Use group activities or pair work. Students who are hesitant to speak in front of the full class are often willing to contribute to smaller groups of classmates.

o o

o o

Give specific tasks and instructions so each person has a role in the group. Look for opportunities for you to interact with individual students in addition to the interactions that are possible in front of all the other students; for example, before and after class, in the transition to group work, or while groups are working. Select people a day to summarize key points from previous day, bring up a question from the chapter, or comment on other work that they can prepare outside of class time. Acknowledge other forms of participation; for example, contributions to the class discussion list, comments made in journals, or ideas that you overhear mentioned in small groups which don't get reported to the larger group. Consider calling on students by name, but keep in mind that being called on can be both motivating and intimidating. Be sure students have had a change to prepare for answering the question, and that they are given a reasonable amount of time to formulate a response.

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Foster Equitable Class Participation Provide Feedback

Provide feedback on the nature and quality of participation you observe in the course. Instructors can let students know what their participation is adding to the course, and if they need to make changes in their patterns of participation. This feedback can help the instructor align students expectations by communicating how the instructor perceives their work, rather than relying solely on self-assessment or assumptions based on experiences in other courses.

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Foster Equitable Class Participation Seek Feedback

Seek feedback from students on their perceptions of participation in the course. Do they perceive that they have opportunities to participate, or value ways in which participation contributes to their learning? This feedback can help the instructor align teaching practices with student perceptions of their opportunities to participate, rather than relying solely on inferences from student behavior or facial expressions.

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Foster Equitable Class Participation Honor Student Diversity

Students can easily think they are not welcome in a class when they hear comments that seem to reveal or perpetuate stereotypes that they don't share. Even an impersonal comment not directed at students in the course can become a distraction that prevents students from engaging in the class, as one student notes, "One day the professor started class with a joke about people with accents. Chances are he didn't mean anything by it, but it's all I thought about for the whole hour. I might as well have stayed home for all I was able to pay attention to the lecture." Most people respond even more strongly to stereotypes directed at them. Social identities are strongly held, but people also want to be recognized as individuals -- as members of certain social groups, and also as unique individuals within those groups. For this reason, students can easily conclude their participation is not welcome if either dimension of identify is overemphasized or disregarded. Instructors may inadvertently communicate disrespect for other types of student diversity as well. Students may get this message if their commitments to family, work or other obligations are dismissed as unimportant in comparison to course work. They may also get this sense if instructors respond to student disabilities, language or cultural differences, or struggles with the course content in ways that suggest they are not interested in helping students meet these possible challenges to learning. Beyond avoiding direct expressions of stereotypes and being careful not to disregard students

life experiences, an instructor can take a number of specific steps to help foster equitable class participation by honoring student diversity.
o o o o o

Develop a Broad Repertoire of Cases and Examples Set the Stage for Potentially Sensitive Material Respond Promptly to Discriminatory Remarks Do Not Diminish Students' Strong Reactions to Negative Comments Do Not Ask a Student to Represent an Entire Category of People

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Foster Equitable Class Participation > Honor Student Diversity Develop a Broad Repertoire of Cases and Examples
Instructors can communicate indirectly (by the examples given, the scholars cited, or the problems identified as important) that some perspectives on this work or more valid than others. If validity appears somehow to be judged on identity preferences rather than on the merit of the work being discussed, then students can easily conclude that the instructor is unfairly excluding views that may matter greatly to the students.

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Foster Equitable Class Participation > Honor Student Diversity Set the Stage for Potentially Sensitive Material
Rather than assuming that all material can be presented as value-neutral, instructors can anticipate material that may lead to heated discussions. The goal is ensure that controversy is handled in a way that doesnt cause some students to conclude that their perspectives are automatically discounted by the instructor or by other students. One approach is to establish

Ground Rules for class discussion, providing a common reference point for reminding students of mutually agreed upon ways of interacting in class respectfully. Before handling potentially sensitive material.
o o

Acknowledge that students may have strong personal opinions about the material. Work with students to set ground rules for discussion. Many instructors find it helpful to have the students develop the ground rules they want to operate by. Others provide ground rules that include items such as:
o o o o o o o

Remind them you expect them to treat each other with respect. Ask that they "question the quality of the argument offered. Not the validity of each other's personal beliefs" Speak from experience and avoid generalizations about other groups of people. Share air time Listen respectfully to different perspectives No blaming and no scapegoating Focus on own learning. not winning arguments.

Plan to be the "Devils Advocate." The discussion may become lopsided for a variety of reasons. If the discussion is not well rounded, you need to offer the underrepresented point of view, regardless of your personal views on the matter.

Related Readings
Arizona State University Intergroup Relations Center:

Guidelines for Constructive Dialogue in the Classroom (pdf) Conflict De-escalation Strategies (pdf) Suggested Groundrules for Discussion (pdf)

Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom, by Kathleen McKinney, Illinois State University Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom, from the Derek Bok Center at Harvard University Practical Strategies to Reduce or Eliminate Student Incivility, from the article, Reducing Incivility in the University / College Classroom, by Patrick J. Morrissette Responding to Distressed Students, from the University of California at Santa Barbara

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Foster Equitable Class Participation > Honor Student Diversity Respond Promptly to Discriminatory Remarks
An instructors failure to respond promptly to discriminatory remarks or other kinds of disruptive behavior may be seen as tacit approval of the comment or behavior.

Related Readings
How do you handle a sexist, racist or other excluding or pejorative comment from a member of your class? Comments from Instructors at York University Responses to Negative Discrimination, from the University of Minnesota Diversity Toolkit

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Foster Equitable Class Participation > Honor Student Diversity Do Not Diminish Students' Strong Reactions to Negative Comments
A comment that may be intended as value-neutral or simply descriptive may sound very different to students who have been the targets of discrimination, and these students may react in ways that are surprising to people who have not had similar experiences. Bell et al. (1997) noted, "Dominant group members are often oblivious to the effects of their language ... and in fact are often shocked to realize this effect. Thus the potential for breakdown in communication, hurt feelings, defensiveness, and recriminations is high." (p. 302)

Related Readings
For further discussion and additional resources, see Related Readings under Set the Stage for

Potentially Sensitive Material (above)

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Foster Equitable Class Participation > Honor Student Diversity Do Not Ask a Student to Represent an Entire Category of People
Asking students to speak on behalf of entire groups often rests on unstated assumptions about students identification with these groups, asks students to make unsupported generalizations about them, and puts students in the position of being valued for membership in a group rather than for individual abilities or ideas. The Cardinal Rule, proposed by Harvard University's Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, is
1. Learn as much about and become as sensitive as you can to racial, ethnic, and cultural groups other than your own. At the same time: 2. NEVER make assumptions about an individual based on the racial, ethnic, or cultural groups he or she belongs to. Treat each student first and foremost as an individual. Get to know students individually. (Teaching in a Racially Diverse Classroom)

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Foster Equitable Class Participation > Honor Student Diversity Responding to Problems
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may still get reports that some students feel excluded from participation. These situations may suggest a real need for change, or they may point to a

misperception on the part of the students. In either case, it is important to get more information, and to formulate a response. Some options include:
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Ask yourself: Is there a pattern to the ways in which students be come silent? For example do students shut up after certain other student talk? Do certain kinds of questions seem to foster or inhibit participation? Is there a specific group that participates or does not participate? Discuss the situation with a peer or colleague who may have insights from teaching similar courses or helping students who have struggled with similar issues. Arrange a CIDR Consultation to discuss the situation, schedule a Midterm Student Feedback session, or arrange a Class Observation. Openly discuss the topic with students. Let them know you understand that some students are have raised this concern, and discuss with them ways that you will respond to it. If there are changes you intend to make, let students know what the intended changes are and later, ask for their feedback on how helpful the changes have been.

Other Inclusive Teaching Strategies

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Communicate Respect, Fairness, and High Expectations Support Student Success Plan for Diversity in Teaching

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We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback on the Inclusive Teaching site at cidr@u.washington.edu http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/inclusive/ site last updated: February 1, 2008 2008 Center for Instructional Development and Research