Room for Inclusion

I consider Inclusive pedagogy is an important part of fostering an inclusive classroom environment. However, as I white person of privilege I struggle to find the balance of creating inclusion and inviting a student into a potentially harmful environment. For this reason I was drawn to an article published in the open access Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. The article followed seven instructors as they implemented inclusive pedagogy in their classrooms as a part of a community learning program (Considine, Mihalick, Mogi-Hein, Penick-Parks,Van Auken, 2014). One of the major benefits of this program was that is gave instructors the chance to debrief with another as they collectively reflected on their experiences (Considine et al., 2014)

The instructors shared their challenges as in creating inclusive environments with the researchers (Considine et al., 2014). Two of these challenges were particularly interesting. The first was the challenge of un-examined whiteness (Considine et al., 2014). The challenge of un-examined whiteness manifested in the instructors' hesitation to address white privilege and in the white students reactions as they sometimes meet the discussion with hostility (Considine et al., 2014). This challenge stood out to as is relatable, especially for instructors who work with predominantly white student populations.

Moreover, the challenge of un-examined whiteness brings another question to bare. How does a white instructor empower a student of color to calm their space in the classroom? The article reflected on an exchange between two students about the significance of racial profiling and the use of the phrase “driving while black” (Considine et al., 2014 p.25). The exchange was uncomfortable for the students and the instructor resorted to ending the conversation, as they were not confident in their ability to address the discourse. (Considine et al., 2014). This response is insufficient and worked against the instructors intention to create inclusion.

A better answer to the above example would have required embarrassing the uncomfortable nature of the situation. By embarrassing the situation for what it is, the instructor may have then been able to allow the injured party to calm their space in the classroom. Serving as the rudder for the conversation the instruction could expand to equip the broader classroom with the information necessary to process the exchange. However, one might want to pause and remind the class of the principles of community before going too deep into the discussion. Nonetheless, it is important to address the situation and allow debriefing the class before moving on another topic or dismissing the class.

The second challenge that the instructors faced when incorporating inclusive pedagogy was the cost of materials (Considine et al., 2014). Through the program the instructors had realized the importance of integrating diverse authors into their curriculum. Yet, the instructors struggled with the price of added materials (Considine et al., 2014). This was an insightful point as it mirrored so nicely off the fact that the findings were published in an open access journal. Meaning that the researchers attempted to level the playing field by ensuring that their inclusive research is accessible.

In conclusion, incorporating inclusive pedagogy into the classroom requires examination of whiteness. It also requires the willingness to be uncomfortable in that examination. Moreover, incorporation inclusive pedagogy requires one to consider the access to pedagogical materials. Inclusive pedagogy is an important part of creating an inclusive environment, the other part is equipping marginalized students to claim their space in that environment.

References

Considine, J., Mihalick, J., Mogi-Hein, Y., Penick-Parks, M., & Van Auken, P. (2014). “Who

am I to bring diversity into the classroom?” Learning communities wrestle with

creating inclusive college classrooms. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and

Learning, 14(4), 18–30. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v14i4.3895