Workshop Playlist
IVT: 8,1
IVT: 8,2
IVT: 8,3
IVT: 8,4
IVT: 8,15
IVT: 8,12
Discussion Questions
-
What about this situation made this student uncomfortable?
-
What was the impact of this situation on this student in the clip you have just viewed? List the consequences experienced by the student as a result of this situation.
-
In clip IVT: 8,4, this student discusses the instructor’s reaction to the situation by posing the question, “Is there anybody who wants to respond to this?”
-
Why do you think the instructor asked the class this?
-
Can you think of other ways the instructor could have reacted to this situation? Revisit this clip, IVT: 8,15, for the student’s take on how the instructor could have responded.
Questions for Further Discussion
-
How might this situation impact others involved in the situation: other students? How might they have perceived this situation?
-
The instructor and the student’s relationship to the instructor? (See IVT: 8,12)
Exercises
After an incident takes place in class, students frequently discuss experiencing a significant amount of anxiety, and often find it difficult to return to the class after a racist comment was made or a situation was not handled appropriately. This student comments on what she went through as a result of this situation.
1. Flowchart Exercise
The objective of this exercise is to examine how an incident, when not addressed, can develop and how the negative outcomes can be exacerbated the longer that it goes unaddressed.
Using a whiteboard create a flow chart of this class incident. In a different colored pen circle points where interjection into the situation might be possible, and note the party or parties who are responsible for initiating the interjection. Detail what these interjections might be, and explain their effectiveness.
An example of a flowchart might look like:
Classroom incident>Student affected by comment is shut down>Teacher poses question to class>No response>Student leaves the class upset and angry>Student talks to classmates about the situation outside of class>Student emails the instructor>Instructor emails response>Student returns to alienating classroom environment>Instructor recommends reading material to class and shows video >Student has difficulty engaging with coursework>Student/instructor relationship changes.
2. Role Playing Exercise
The goal of this exercise is for each workshop participant to engage in a situation from this students experience in the role of the instructor in order to identify points where they would intervene in the situation and develop ways of responding as an instructor. This exercise is intended to illustrate the importance of timely intervention in classroom situations, and to give participants an opportunity to test potential responses and intervention techniques.
Below is a dialogue from this student’s account of the incident she experienced. Ask for three participants to read the script in the roles of student A, student B, student C. The other workshop participants will be in the role of the instructor.
Student A, student B, and student C will read through the situation once. Tell workshop participants that students A, B, and C will read through the situation again, and that in this reading, workshop participants, as the instructor, can say “stop”; at the point where they would like to intervene and respond as they think the instructor should. Once they’ve made their intervention, participants should explain the timing of their intervention as well as their response.
Have the group provide feedback on that intervention, its timing and what was said. If another participant would like to try a different intervention, go through the process described above again for that participant.
Role Playing Exercise Dialogue
Student A: When Aboriginal people walk into a room, they are considered political. They’re just political, that’s just the way it is.
Student B: You know, when Aboriginal people walk into the room, they’re Aboriginal people. If you choose to think of us as political, that’s something different. And that’s a general statement, it’s an assumption, it’s a stereotype. You know, I could just say, you as a White person, when you walk into the room you’re political. What does that mean, exactly? Like, what are you getting at?
Student C: Be quiet, he has a right to say what he wants.
Student A: Excuse me, I have a right to say something too, and it’s called a response, and I was responding to his racial comments. So don’t tell me to be quiet.
*Click here for a downloadable PDF version of this topic and supporting materials.
