Equitable Teaching and Learning

While the course engages students to analyze different education systems in different parts of the world, it also allowed students to reflect on their own personal experiences within a particular education system. This exploration/reflection cultivated a space to name societal/cultural influences that shape the education system. For example, systemic racism, ideas of colonization, embodying whiteness, xenophobia are ideas that continue to justify actions that are targeted against individuals who may not be of the dominant identity. These inequities from larger ecological contexts are reflected in the lived experiences of historically marginalized groups within the education system, perpetuating a gap in terms of achievement and the disproportionality of opportunities/resources between BIPOC individuals and their white counterparts.

Compared to my first quarter of teaching, I have become much more observant of when to ‘disrupt’ the flow of thinking when talking about the material. When I show up to a Zoom room, I now let the students notice me first. If they requested me into their Zoom room, I have them explain to me in their own words how they’re interpreting the material/question at hand. I mindfully listen and try using examples the mirror their words and then tie their knowledge/example to biologically relevant concepts in order to bridge that connection.

Within this course, the students (including myself) were grouped together for weekly site visits. Each group had around 7-10 members. We would travel to different sites within a ‘large’ geographical area, using our five senses in order to help us understand the different communities that construct the population as a whole. With this, we were able to see different components that contributed/encompass knowledge centers. From this course were given the opportunity to explore how/where learning occurs. From theory to practice, we (as a group) were able to navigate who was invited into these spaces and who held the power within these spaces.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, online instruction challenged the traditional structures of a westernized classroom. The educational system of Washington State and its core requirements encompass what we must teach students in general biology. How I go about learning depended on the community of the classroom and on the individual student. I would change my teaching style depending on the individual. I like to teach through sustaining space and building relationships with my students through relational forms of justice within the biological sciences. Our documentation of learning would be the worksheets and POGILS that we provide for them. We assess students through an online platform through formal examinations or projects. With projects, we hope that it will inspire students to think critically and creatively about biology and provides a space for them to grow.

- 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.