Description:

Graduate and Postdoctoral Workshop
The Role of Power Dynamics in Fostering Inclusive Classroom Climate
Monday, November 2, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Searle Center Library
Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
627 Dartmouth Place
Evanston, IL

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Workshop Description:

Presenting yourself as an authority in the classroom can have many challenges, but it does influence learning environments in a variety of ways. Have you ever wondered how to position yourself as an authority while simultaneously creating an inclusive classroom climate for your students? In this workshop, we will explore how to create inclusive classroom settings, tone, and policies that will give TAs and instructors the opportunity to think about how they manage their classrooms. This workshop will also balance class-preparation with teachable moments in the classroom – how to interact with students in the moment. Here, we provide real-life classroom experience to give workshop participants a sense of the challenges inherent in fostering an inclusive climate. We will address the power issues present in the classroom and provide learning strategies for dealing with offensive, obscure, or obtuse comments.

Workshop Facilitators:

Stephanie Brehm is a doctoral candidate in American religions, studying religion, media, and popular culture in contemporary American life. Her dissertation work focuses on humor and religious identity and authority, combining methodologies from ethnography, history, cultural studies, and media studies. She has taught as a teaching assistant and co-facilitator in a wide variety of environments at Northwestern University and Miami University of Ohio, and will be teaching her own 300-level seminar at Northwestern in Spring 2016.

Polina Maksimovich is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. Her dissertation explores some of the aspects of Vampilov’s metaphysical theater, where she examine the ways the aesthetics of the holy foolery shaped this dramatist’s art and life. Last year, Polina participanted in Searle Center’s Teaching Certificate Program and, overall, has been teaching Northwestern courses in both literature and language for four years.

For questions, contact Stephanie Walaszek