Concrete strategy-sharing by peers dispels faculty fear of inclusive teaching
Evidence
We invited then-Princeton professor of religion and philosophy Cornel West to give a talk on “decentering Western civilization.” It was our hope that his very traditional training and his progressive practice as a scholar would give everyone a sense of optimism about our ability to change. … This reminded us that it is difficult for individuals to shift paradigms and that there must be a setting for folks to voice fears, to talk about what they are doing, how they are doing it, and why. One of our most useful meetings was one in which we asked professors from different disciplines (including math and science) to talk informally about how their teaching had been changed by a desire to be more inclusive. Hearing individuals describe concrete strategies was an approach that helped dispel fears. It was crucial that more traditional or conservative professors who had been willing to make changes talk about motivations and strategies. — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress, 83
Categorization
- SEED: The ‘paradigm shift needs a safe vocalizing space’ observation could seed an essay on how organizational change actually happens through peer testimony rather than mandates.
- XREF: connects to: Teachers trained under a single-norm model fear losing control in multicultural classrooms. — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as…, 80; Teacher vulnerability is the precondition for mutual classroom empowerment — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as…, 58; Fear of losing student respect drives professors back to traditional teaching — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as…, 274 (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- Fear of losing student respect drives professors back to traditional teaching
#expands(0.86) — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress, 274 - Peers who counter prejudice are more effective than adults at changing peer-group norms
#exemplifies(0.78) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2020 - Teacher vulnerability is the precondition for mutual classroom empowerment
#qualifies(0.74) — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress, 58 - Professors’ residential segregation from students breeds self-declared liberalism masking classroom conservatism
#expands(0.72) — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress, 261