Diversity

Research shows that community and a sense of belonging are associated with improved motivation and learning in undergraduate instruction. However, graduate student teachers seldom receive specific training in creating community when teaching undergraduates. This webinar introduces graduate students to community-building strategies in the undergraduate classroom to improve undergraduate learning.

Introverts are some of the most creative and productive people, but are often stereotyped as shy and forced to navigate work and class environments designed for extroverts. With the rise of group work in classes, emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, and open discussions of often contentious issues in faculty meetings, introverts can feel marginalized. Yet, this need not be the case. In this book Susan Cain examines the power of introverts and how they can leverage their strengths to thrive in these contexts. She also provides valuable incites for extrovert faculty who work with and teach introverts.

One of the ten “high-impact practices” is to explore “difficult differences ” such as racial, ethnic, and gender inequality, or continuing struggles for human rights, freedom, and power. This exploration is crucial in today’s multicultural society, but while this pedagogy has empirically documented impact in the classroom and can push students to develop critical thinking skills, it can also backfire if the exploration is not effectively structured. In this workshop, we will share tools and techniques for holding space for difficult dialogues, from establishing ground rules upfront to leading discussions of controversial topics, to dealing with emotional outbursts in the classroom.