Panelists
Stephanie Sanders, PhD, University of Michigan
Nidhi Mahendra, PhD, CCC-SLP, San Jose State University
Lekeitha Morris, PhD, CCC-SLP, Lamar University
Maya Clark, PhD, CCC-SLP, Georgia Southern University
Facilitators
Valarie Fleming, PhD, CCC-SLP, Texas State University
Grace Hao, PhD, CCC-SLP, North Carolina Central University
Description
As part of the year-long teaching symposium, seven synchronous online peer discussions were
held. In the fifth session, the panelists were asked to address difficult decisions in the classroom,
and attendees were encouraged to engage with the panelists. Below is a summary of the discussion.
QUESTIONS/TOPICS DISCUSSED
- Why are you involved in this work? What has driven you to do this work?
(What is your “why”?) - What are some common DEI issues in the classroom? What strategies have you applied
in your teaching? - How can I encourage minoritized students to contribute or to let me know what I can
do to make things more accessible? I don’t want to assume that I know who among the
class is a non-majority student and what or how they are feeling! - As a minoritized professor, how do you deal with culturally arrogant students?
- Closing remarks from panelists
Why are you involved in this work? What has driven you to do this work?
(What is your “why”?)
Dr. Clark
My “why” is the result of both nature and nurture. When it comes to
“nature, I am accustomed to saying, “it’s in my DNA.” I am the daughter
of a civil rights activist who integrated lunch counters as a seminary
college student. He worked with Fannie Lou Hamer on voter registration
in the Mississippi Delta and is listed in the Civil Rights Archives for our
state. As a result, the issues of equality and inclusion have always been a
part of who I am. It’s in me. It’s also been a part of my lived experiences.
I was born and raised in the area where Emmett Till was murdered.
My Girl Scout meetings and my first job were in the courthouse where
his murderers were tried but not convicted. I attended the University of
Mississippi that gained prominence when the U.S. Marshals were needed
to assist James Meredith in enrolling. I was the only student of color in my
CSD master’s program and remember how isolated and discriminated
against I felt. Also, my identities have allowed me to understand how
exhausting it is to temper your very being and not show up as your true
self. My “why” comes from wanting to help others “belong.”
Dr. Mahendra
I got into DEI work essentially due to the personal life I’ve had, which
[has] extended into my professional life. I was born and raised in the
Middle East, lived and studied in India, spent time in the U.K., and
moved to the U.S. in my twenties. With every move, I started to see
how norms and expectations for communication changed each time,
as did gender role expectations and how persons with differences and
disability were treated. At an early age, I learned to see life, events, and
behaviors in a multidimensional way where the same behavior had
different interpretations (and even if there was a rule in one situation,
it didn’t apply in another situation, for example). This curiosity followed
[me] into my professional life. I was one of the few international students
in my doctoral program at The University of Arizona, and I regularly
experienced those who thought I didn’t belong and equally those who
thought I had unique skills and perspectives to bring to my professional
life and should contribute fully. I grappled with this dual perception
of myself by others—for a long time. I was lucky to have extraordinary
mentoring and want to pay that forward, leave my profession stronger
and more vibrant.
Dr. Morris
I believe in this work wholeheartedly. As a product of a teen mom and
a proud Head Start graduate, I have always had a passion for families
and students from marginalized communities. Once I started college
and the seed was planted for me to get a PhD, I knew immediately the
population I wanted to work with and encourage. I think it is so important
for students from marginalized backgrounds to know that, as a profession,
we welcome them. I think exposing students early on is critical and then
being there to support, encourage, and push them is [also] critical. I do
this work to encourage students and help students understand and realize their
potential in this profession. I always want to inspire, challenge, and
help students be successful in the profession. The families we serve need
them—and the professions most certainly need more racially diverse
service providers.
Dr. Sanders
I am a lecturer and DEI officer. This is what I do. Relevant to this context,
who I am is a woman of color, a product of Head Start, a first-generation
college student. I do this work to better understand how to create more
opportunities and access for students who follow similar paths and who
are navigating barriers, gatekeepers, and networks. I have a particular
interest in improving educational outcomes for students from low-income
families, first-generation, and BIPOC students—and students whose
entry points into higher education have been, and at times remain,
inaccessible.
Attendee Input
#1 As a woman, and a first-generation [college student], I have
experienced much discrimination. I take those experiences and
amplify them to advocate for others . . . . I am always striving to
understand more deeply and do better by minoritized individuals and
populations.
#2 I personally was not even considering this as a thing in my life and
career before immigrating to the U.S. 8 years ago; After immigration,
I experienced being an international doctoral student and then being
an international faculty, which has made it challenging a lot of times
to deal with my professors, students, colleagues, and co-workers due
to a diverse cultural and linguistic background. When you work in a
not-very-diverse environment, I feel I like to listen to people who are in
the same boat.
#3 I’ve been learning to better balance my Taiwanese heritage with
my white-passing privilege in providing mentorship for students
and new clinicians from minoritized people, particularly from
the Asian diaspora. I’m first-generation for graduate school and
second-generation for literacy—I need to make sure I’m bringing that
perspective to the classroom.
#4 Minority woman from southeast, rural Georgia who also had
international experience as an SLP who wanted to share the
excellence of my hue to others who don’t experience or expect such.
What are some common DEI issues in the classroom? What strategies have you applied in your teaching?
Dr. Clark
I think back to my own BIPOC experience and want students to “belong”
so that they can truly engage in the learning experience. I use principles
to foster “belonging” and the Transparency in Learning and Teaching
(TILT) framework, among others, to address everything from my syllabus
to the classroom environment, to selecting resources. I try to remember
that I don’t know who is in my classroom and what their experiences are. I
want to demystify it for all.
Dr. Mahendra
I have a list (kidding!). I think the classroom has changed, our learners
have changed, the world around us has changed, and so has technology.
One issue for us to think about is how can we, as instructors, not change?
Another issue is our hesitation—to be led by our learners more in how
they want to create their learning. Students don’t see themselves in our
curriculum—or in the face of instructors in many classes. And we can do
a lot to address this. For example, using our syllabus as a powerful tool
that sets a tone for the learning community you plan to create, and to
strip it of accusatory language or punitive policies. I also think we’re a bit
stuck in some ancient, unhelpful grading practices and testing techniques
(I’m not a fan of tests and exams), and think we need to allow students
more freedom to showcase their learning and knowledge in other ways.
I think we could do a better job, perhaps, at living out Bell Hooks’ notion
that “the classroom remains the most radical space of possibility in the
academy.”
Input Shared via Chat
I encouraged attendees to think about co-creating the syllabus, designing
content modules with interprofessional colleagues and students “as
experts.” The following resources, related to this response, were shared in
the online chat:
Blum, S. D. (2020). Ungrading. West Virginia University Press.
Nilson, L. B. (2015). Specifications grading. Stylus Publishing.
Dr. Morris
I think we should expect moments in the classroom to become
challenging at times. Sometimes, as faculty, we also may need to step
back or give ourselves time to calm down or reflect on the best way to
handle a situation.
One of the strategies that I use and found to be helpful is to recast
the problematic statement. For example, if a student says something
problematic or something that may be offensive to students from
marginalized backgrounds, the professor may say, “I want to make
sure I understand what you said: Could you repeat that?” or “I want to
make sure I understand what you are saying: Are you saying that . . . ?”
Sometimes, just giving the student the opportunity to repeat it or if you
rephrase it, they may realize why it’s offensive or problematic. Another strategy
suggested by Souza (2018) is to reframe the statement as though you’re curious as
opposed to judging.
Another one that works well in the classroom, sometimes, is to pause and
give the students time to write and reflect on what just happened, thinking
through why they were offended or why a statement may be offensive. I
tend to use this one if something strikes me as offensive. You have to stay
calm as the faculty, though, and remember that you are teaching them
about these issues.
Morris, L. R., & Bellon-Harn, M. L. (2021). The power of faculty: Transformative
agents of change for the profession. Teaching and Learning in
Communication Sciences & Disorders, 5(3), Article 9. doi.org/10.30707/
TLCSD5.3.1649037688.734156
Souza, T. J. (2018, April 30). Responding to microaggressions in the classroom:
Taking ACTION. Faculty Focus: Higher Ed Teaching Strategies From Magna
Publications. www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/
responding-to-microaggressions-in-the-classroom/
Dr. Sanders
I use the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework as a
way to actively promote students’ conscious understanding of how they
learn. The TILT framework allows me to unpack, make apparent, and
demystify the delivery of course content that may otherwise be unknown
to first-generation, historically underrepresented, and minoritized students
Attendee Input
#1 Students are more receptive to learning from my experience and
perspective.
#2 I changed my approach to include more activities—a variety of
assessment approaches rather than just tests-and I built in
opportunities to revise and redo assignments.
#3 I’m really looking forward to embracing Ungrading in the next year.
#4 I’ve formed learning communities that are intentionally diverse.
Students complete low-stakes assignments with their groups and are
encouraged to be open to others’ approaches to solving problems.
#5 My graduate students have actually commented the most on the TILT
framework—they said that they were able to focus less on their anxiety
around test taking/achievement and focus more on what they’ve
learned and showing me what they know—which makes them feel
more successful in the classroom (especially for people who have a
history of NOT feeling successful).
#6 We talk about the growth mindset—making students feel that “they
don’t know this concept yet” and that we are here to learn together.
Setting a stage for approachability is key. Yesterday I told the students in
my Speech Science class (as I was teaching them about logarithms and
the decibel scale) that I was going to be present with them, no matter
how long it took for them to understand and process that information,
and that it was OK if they felt stressed right now learning it—because that
meant they were challenged, and that’s what leads to learning. It felt productive
and supportive all at the same time (I am hoping that’s how it was
received).
#7 We have counseling and psychology services and regularly discuss
the importance of reaching out for any help. We’ve built this as a
“Longevity and Happiness in the Profession” module.
#8 There are a few things I have tried that I encourage you to try:
Co-creating a syllabus with your students on Day 1—then teach[ing]
from that co-created syllabus the rest of the semester. Don’t knock
it until you try it. Also, creating a course module with faculty in
other disciplines and student “experts—we’ve had wonderful success
with this.
#9 I use a self-survey with each student—[questions like] Do you speak
other languages? Are you working or volunteering? What made you
want to pursue this field? What is it about diverse learning that you
can share or want to have happen? What do you want to know from
me career-wise? etc.
The Counseling Center and the Student Success Center come to
brown bag meetings (informal meetings). We offer them during a
time . . . when students are already scheduled rather than as an
additional responsibility.
How can I encourage nonmajority students to contribute or to let me know what I can do to make things more accessible? I don’t want to assume that I know who among the class is a non-majority student and what or how they are feeling!
Dr. Morris
I think the most important thing is to establish trust with the students.
Cultivating those relationships is priceless, and it’s not until those trust
bonds are built that students will feel comfortable opening up and
sharing what and if they need support. I love the Wednesday walks that
Dr. Clark mentioned—and something happened on Monday, too, but
I can’t remember now—but the idea is [that] these are authentic ways
for the students to connect with you and to know that you are human. I
share with my students the things that are relevant to the discussion to be
able to connect with them. These are just opportunities to talk and share
and get to know you. None of these should be mandatory, and students
should be encouraged to participate [only] if they want to.
As a minority professor, how do you deal with culturally arrogant students?
Dr. Mahendra
I acknowledge that this happens—and happens even more when we’re
challenging long-held ideas or expectations of who might be a professor/
expert on a topic. It is frustrating, and I try to remember to swallow any
anger/frustration I feel and knowing that many students are looking to
me to model a response in a “hot moment.” I remind myself what the
great poet Rumi said, “Raise your words, not your voice—it is rain that
grows flowers, not thunder.” I suggest the following approaches:
- If you are not sure of what was just said or how it was said, you might
ask the student a follow-up question or to explain what they said. - If you are sure that it was not a kind/respectful remark, Name It –
Claim It – Stop It. Say something like, “I don’t agree with that. Give me
a chance to explain why,” or “That’s not a fair comment,” or “That’s a
popular misconception.” Depending on your sense at the time, make
it a teachable moment—or, if that would derail the class, request the
student to talk with you after class. Note: If it’s particularly rude, it might
help to take a 10-minute break to give yourself a little headspace. - I also would consult your department chair or someone in your Office
of Diversity (an expert like Dr. Sanders!) at your institution. - I think, sometimes, the student has brought up something or [has]
spoken for others who might be less knowledgeable or misinformed
about something, and you might have to bring some content/
discussion to a subsequent class, presenting it as “something
happened—I reflected on it —I want us to regroup.” (For example, it
can be used to talk about microaggressions, belonging, privilege, and
bias.)
Closing Comments: Shout-out to all instructors and clinical educators
for the important work they do, at the front lines of our academic fields.
Coming from a place of deep love for our profession means being ready
to critique some of our old practices and imagining learning/instruction
with more liberatory pedagogies.
Closing Remarks
Dr. Clark
It can be hard to let go of practices that we’ve used for years—even if they
are archaic. It is important to think about and utilize different methods of
instruction that can address differences in learning styles, differences in
cultures, etc.
Dr. Morris
I think, just remember that the work you do matters to all your students.
If we get this right in our university settings, it should carry over into our
clinical settings and [then should] continue as students graduate and get jobs and integrate back into their regular lives. We as faculty possess
so much power, and we must make sure [that] we use it to empower all
students because it will [eventually] impact our clients and the individuals
we serve.
Dr. Sanders
In the best of times, implementation of DEI efforts in the classroom
is hard. It’s exacerbated during polarized times. Instructional faculty
are constantly problem-solving. Our work is iterative. It’s disrupted,
challenged, and requires constant adjustments. To be effective, we need
policies, procedures, and practices that guide our teaching and learning
as a collective, rather than as individuals. This can help build capacity,
reserve, and a [supportive] learning community among our colleagues as
we do the work. Finally, we need more awareness, bridge-building efforts,
and innovation. This can be incredibly tiring work. And it is also joyful and
transformative work.
