Introduction: 

Members of the Graduate Teaching Community reflected on the following prompt at the conclusion of the Spring 2023 quarter, which focused on active learning and inclusive classrooms:  How has participating in the Graduate Teaching Community (GTC) this quarter shaped your thinking about teaching?

James Hughes, Mathematics

This quarter, the Graduate Teaching Community’s focus on active learning and inclusivity gave me a lot of new tools and ideas that I’m looking forward to trying out in the classroom this fall. I’m especially excited to implement some of the student-centered aspects of active learning practices that we touched on, particularly as they pertain to student buy-in. One of the obstacles I have encountered in my past attempts at implementing active learning techniques in the classroom has stemmed from particular oversights on my part in terms of addressing student buy-in, and I’m hopeful that I now have the knowledge to fix this. 

Our first podcast of the quarter, Tea for Teaching, introduced the idea of the importance of a student-centered approach to active learning. One of the points from this podcast that stuck with me was about student skepticism around new teaching methods and activities that push them outside of their comfort zone. As a student I can remember times where I was reluctant to try a new activity because I wasn’t convinced that it was the most effective way to learn or it was too far outside of my comfort zone. The podcast served as a good reminder that my motivations for asking students to engage in a task or activity aren’t immediately clear, and that explaining these motivations goes a long way towards encouraging students to participate. 

The notion of student buy-in also appeared as a topic in our second podcast, Dead Ideas in Teaching. Similar to the first podcast, the notion of student buy-in shows up in student (mis)conceptions about the notion of rigor. Students can often be reluctant to embrace learning methods that don’t reflect their notions of what a “rigorous” classroom looks like. On the other hand, students are generally able to recognize when they learn a lot, and communicating the ideas and benefits of particular active learning techniques helps overcome this reluctance. 

Beyond helping me recognize the importance of student buy-in and student-centered active learning more generally, participating in the Graduate Teaching Community helped me to better articulate the benefits of active learning (for both inclusivity and general learning outcomes). Together with the tools and activities I’ve learned about this quarter, I’m confident that I will be a more effective educator and I’m looking forward to trying out some of the new things I’ve learned in the classroom this fall. 

Rebecca Radisic, Integrative Pathobiology

Participating in the Graduate Teaching Community (GTC) during the Spring 2023 quarter has been an enlightening and inspiring experience. As a graduate student in Integrative Pathobiology, I am housed at the veterinary school, so it is very easy to feel disconnected from the main campus. I found it incredibly beneficial to hear from graduate students from completely different disciplines than my own. While the topics we teach may be different, ideas, scenarios, and stories brought up by the cohort were beneficial for everyone.

This quarter was focused on inclusivity in teaching. The variety of media we discussed ranged from podcasts to formal studies, and blog posts. That experience alone I found to be quite inclusive – it was personally quite easy and fun for me to become engaged with the podcasts assigned! This has inspired me to try to include audio and visual demonstrations in the classes I teach. Veterinary pathology is quite a visual medium, but diagrams alone prior to entering the necropsy floor often do not translate to the real world. When I present lectures and rounds to veterinary students, I plan to include videos of particular disease processes and dissection techniques. 

We also read a formal study entitled “How well-intentioned white male physicists maintain ignorance of inequity and justify inaction” by Melissa Dancy and Apriel Hodari. While this article provided specific examples from white, male, physicists, it was unfortunately easy to find examples from your own discipline. The article was a bit of an eye-opener, as it highlighted that good intentions aren’t enough. Aiming for inclusivity is certainly an inspiring start, but concrete actions are necessary to have an impact. At the beginning of my lessons, I plan to provide my students with a blueprint for what to expect in my unit. Clear directions on what to expect and what is necessary to achieve is an act of inclusivity in itself. On top of that, I plan to facilitate feedback from my students multiple times during my unit. This way, I can assess how effective my blueprint will be for their success and adjust as needed. 

Ultimately, participating in GTC this quarter and focusing on inclusivity has inspired me to be intentional in my teaching throughout the remainder of my graduate school career. By doing so, I hope to effectively teach and inspire the students I come into contact with.