Teaching New Years Resolutions
Its the hush before the storm as term has yet to start at either Leeds or Cambridge.
As its the new year, Ive been thinking about my teaching resolutions this year. How can I make my teaching more effective? More friendly to disadvantaged groups? How can I set a good example for women students?
Heres somethings I want to focus on this term:
1. Students use of email.
Last term I found I was drowning in emails from students, often expecting very quick responses. I initially responded within a few hours, often during weekends and late at night. I think this created a culture of student dependence on email, where they would email me without first looking for answers themselves. And it created bad expectations about what my job entails, and what the students could expect from me *and my colleagues*. I might be able to choose to spend a few hours of personal time at the weekend, but Im not comfortable making that choice for my colleagues.
This term I am going to take the department advice seriously (up to 48 hours to respond to an email). During termtime weekends I am going to 'pause' my inbox.
2. Ableist language.
I read an excellent blog recently that really brought to light how common ableist language is. I would never use the term 'gay' as a prejorative, so why should I use 'crazy', or 'blind'?
I'm going to try and avoid any of my own use of such terms (e.g. no saying 'but it would be crazy to think X', or 'X is blind to Y's objections). Students learn a great deal from modelling, and so I want to model inclusive language as much as I possibly can.
3. Discussion of choices of readings, wrt gender and race (etc) balance
Where I have control, I want to continue to aim for reading lists which have some degree of gender and racial balance (in so much as possible). This isnt new. This term I also want to be open to students that their reading lists might lack gender and racial balance, and talk to them about why that might be and what as a profession we are doing to change things.
4. Setting an example for women students, and commanding authority
Until recently I would introduce myself as 'Katie'. This term for my small groups I am going to sign my emails Dr Monk. (I think for my one on one students at Cambridge it might be different)
I hope this will reinforce in my women students that I have a PhD, and am a member of the academic staff. Whilst most students pick up on that straight away, a few times 1st year students at Leeds have missed it! They don't normally make the same assumptions about men. So to show the women in my classes that women can get PhDs in philosophy, and can carry authority in academia, I'll be signing my emails Dr Monk from now on.
As its the new year, Ive been thinking about my teaching resolutions this year. How can I make my teaching more effective? More friendly to disadvantaged groups? How can I set a good example for women students?
Heres somethings I want to focus on this term:
1. Students use of email.
Last term I found I was drowning in emails from students, often expecting very quick responses. I initially responded within a few hours, often during weekends and late at night. I think this created a culture of student dependence on email, where they would email me without first looking for answers themselves. And it created bad expectations about what my job entails, and what the students could expect from me *and my colleagues*. I might be able to choose to spend a few hours of personal time at the weekend, but Im not comfortable making that choice for my colleagues.
This term I am going to take the department advice seriously (up to 48 hours to respond to an email). During termtime weekends I am going to 'pause' my inbox.
2. Ableist language.
I read an excellent blog recently that really brought to light how common ableist language is. I would never use the term 'gay' as a prejorative, so why should I use 'crazy', or 'blind'?
I'm going to try and avoid any of my own use of such terms (e.g. no saying 'but it would be crazy to think X', or 'X is blind to Y's objections). Students learn a great deal from modelling, and so I want to model inclusive language as much as I possibly can.
3. Discussion of choices of readings, wrt gender and race (etc) balance
Where I have control, I want to continue to aim for reading lists which have some degree of gender and racial balance (in so much as possible). This isnt new. This term I also want to be open to students that their reading lists might lack gender and racial balance, and talk to them about why that might be and what as a profession we are doing to change things.
4. Setting an example for women students, and commanding authority
Until recently I would introduce myself as 'Katie'. This term for my small groups I am going to sign my emails Dr Monk. (I think for my one on one students at Cambridge it might be different)
I hope this will reinforce in my women students that I have a PhD, and am a member of the academic staff. Whilst most students pick up on that straight away, a few times 1st year students at Leeds have missed it! They don't normally make the same assumptions about men. So to show the women in my classes that women can get PhDs in philosophy, and can carry authority in academia, I'll be signing my emails Dr Monk from now on.
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