Education is a powerful tool for social change, and I need to better utilize it. There is no doubt that there needs to be an improvement in how I teach. Systematic failures have made themselves apparent and I am thankful for being able to learn so much about what has been happening. Change is a constant, relentless effort. As such, for there to be meaningful growth, the energy to make things better needs to be focused on the classroom. Events and assemblies are a start, but if there is to be real, ongoing improvement it will have to stem from daily practice.
Here are three things I already know I will do better next school year. I can get lost in messaging and thinking, so I need to better anchor myself to action. By no means is this meant to be a finish line or a solution – these are small steps. Small steps will add up if I do not let them fade.
Use name cards correctly. This is something I have done better but I have gotten lazy. Using index cards/sticks/whatever to call on students should be a given and I have made them for my classes, but I need to be more mindful of how I use them. In recent years I usually let them gather dust and only bring them out as a punitive measure when things get too quiet. The cards need to come first, always. Question, wait time, cards, volunteers. That is the order I need to stick to from the first day to the last. I still will be respectful of my students’ comfort speaking in front of the class. They will always have the right to ask to speak later or not speak at all if their name comes up, but I want to make sure they all get the opportunity.
Focus on today. When teaching Computer Science, the most exciting thing to me is tomorrow. My class has studied the ethics of things like facial recognition tech in society and the bias in AI. These are all important issues that I will continue to cover, but I have lost sight of teaching them what is happening today. There are a plethora of socioeconomic issues in technology that my students are living through and I need to return the focus to that. Topics like the digital divide and how access to technology is now access to vital information will take on more of the spotlight. It is difficult to cover these things and it can be much more exciting to cover speculative futures. This isn’t a situation for me to take the path of least resistance.
Opportunities for personal stories. It is important to bring case studies into the classroom, but I have let these take over the space for personal stories. When I see something exciting in the news I try to bring it into my classes, like using Tesla crash tests for impulse in Physics or cutting edge tech in CompSci. But there are only so many days in a school year. I need to better empower my students to use their voice and their stories so that they understand that all of these things are valid. Their experiences are real, they do not need to be from a peer-reviewed source to have power. I need to create moments in the classroom where students feel comfortable sharing their stories and tying it to the content matter.
By no means do I intend this list to be exhaustive, there is so much more I can do. But I need help. A generic call into the void for assistance won’t bring much, so here is my specific request: I need help in bringing outside voices and perspectives into my curriculum. I want to better incorporate things like Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Reflections on the Color of My Skin into my classes. I will keep searching for ways to do this, but I will appreciate all the assistance I can get. Thank you.