- The students know that I have to act “professional,” but they tell me they have always enjoyed how giggly/funny I am when I teach and would love to see me carry that through my videos
My recorded videos now have my bloopers of me messing up words, laughing, or staring at the screen and saying “Hmm, let me just ummm...hmm...yes, I will..I will... repeat this/that because that made no sense to me” → these actions have made the students feel more comfortable asking questions because they can see me making mistakes and laughing → They told me they felt better about making mistakes and learning
- Many of the students told me how they felt like they were not good at science and I told them what matters most is what we do with those feelings...we can let them define us, or we use them to empower ourselves. I usually share my story of almost ‘failing’ (To me it felt like failing) BIOL 180 (BIOL I) made me unsure if I was good enough at STEM. I also tell them that my experiences aren't theirs, and that they must discover their own story.
During our CBCA project within this course, we had to develop a slide presentation that answers the question “How do we create an inclusive curriculum that bridges the gap between academic curriculum and culture/home lifestyle while acknowledging our own privilege and positionality with a community that has been shaped by a westernized lens?” Before we could address this issue through pedagogical frameworks, we had to critically analyze the historical context/events that have impacted the communities that make up the larger population (i.e., redlining), while mindfully being aware of the roots of each community (identities/perspectives between and within a diverse set of cultural backgrounds).
The interpretation of what is socially upheld within the context of an institution and its structures impacts outcomes related to equity and diversity, acknowledging the inequities that have occurred in the past, present, and future. Some spaces welcome and invite marginalized identities while others do the complete opposite. While the institution as a whole may promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, certain spaces may not. I think we can do as individuals is not play tit for tat with oppression and we listen wholeheartedly and compassionately recognizing that everyones’ narrative and struggles are different. Being at the UW has taught me a lot about my own privilege and the oppression that I currently face.
As an extension of EDUC 251, this class focused on the intersection of our identities (both privileged and marginalized) within our places of practice and how they impact them. Who and what we bring into specific spaces can either help/harm us. Some of those things can be controlled (i.e. bias, usage of language, etc), but other things such as race is something that we as individuals can not control, nor the assumptions/stereotypes that are associated with it. With this class, we talked about real life applications when engaging within ethical/non-colonizing/equitable processes that sustain space for ourselves and others through identity formation. In some situations, we hold privileged identities and others might view that privileged identity as a threat. While this can cause issues, what we can do is open up a space to show people who we are. This can slowly begin to dismantle the systems of oppression at play.
Some programs at different institutions intertwine education within STEM as a pathway for undergraduate students to pursue (i.e., Biology Education). While the University of Washington does not offer that, I chose to pursue a B.S. in Microbiology and a B.A. in Education, Communities, and Organizations. While the foundations of biology are applied within microbiology, I specifically chose to explore the biological/biochemical processes of microorganisms and their pathways of disease. With my combined degrees, I have learned how to enact/engage with others through dialogue on biological processes encompassed by a social justice framework. And because of this individual action, I can continue working with others towards resistance and dismantling harmful practices that have shaped society starting from within my classroom.