21 What can you do?
What can you do?
Anti-racism is a lifelong process that involves constant reflection, self-education, and action on the part of white educators.
A Brief Note
It can be easy to actively seek solutions to a lack of safety in the classroom rather than grappling with the factors contributing to these issues. However, we urge you to take some time to explore the root causes of these concerns, which have been identified by students in our study and extensively covered in existing literature.
Additionally, we understand that some ideas that we’ve proposed in this section of the tab are not comprehensive, nor do they fully address the issues identified by key stakeholders. However, many of the themes presented have been identified for decades by marginalized students as being important steps toward making classrooms safer, while also understanding that the current Eurocentric, colonial structure of postsecondary education will sustain these issues.
Recommendations
Reflective/Internal
- Resist impulses of white fragility, white tears, white rage, white denial, and white guilt. Challenge any desire to centre your own feelings and reactions when a racialized student approaches you with feedback or concerns. This involves engaging in critical self-reflection about your biases, values, and assumptions and requires you to lean into the discomfort of unlearning.
- Interrogate defensive impulses. Ask yourself:
- Why am I feeling defensive, angry, upset, or uncomfortable?
- What values are being challenged right now? Where did I learn/acquire these values?
- What underlying assumptions underpin this idea/value? What are its limitations?
- How can I manage these feelings without imposing them upon someone else?
- What can I do in this moment?
- Educate yourself on these issues and do not ask racialized students to explain them to you or to the class. Seek out training, workshops, public talks, and other resources so that you are staying up-to-date on these topics.
- For example, connect with PACBIC!
Interpersonal/In Class
- Call-in/call out racism as it occurs in the classroom. According to Tiffany Jewell, “calling in” refers to private, interpersonal steps that one can take to redress problematic behaviour (e.g. pulling someone aside and explaining why what they did was harmful), while “calling out” refers to publicly naming something as harmful and holding the person accountable in front of a group. There are ways to do so that don’t make it uncomfortable for everyone:
- “Thank you for sharing your thoughts. However, I think about it in this way…”
- “Would you mind if I challenged you on that perspective/idea?”
- “Can we talk about this a little more?”
- “Could I expand on your point and take it a different way?”
- “I think that what you’re saying is indicative of a popular assumption about…”
- “Have you considered…”
- “I agree with you on _____, but I don’t agree on _____”
- “Can we revisit this conversation at another time?”
- Redirect students that may be putting racialized students on the spot, such as asking them questions as it relates to their identity and expecting them to answer on behalf of that identity marker. Do not make racialized students undertake that labour. Redirection could include some of the examples above, moving onto another topic and revisiting the conversation a bit later, and/or acknowledging that it is your responsibility to field questions.
- As mistakes, missteps, and misunderstandings are inevitable, be accountable. Acknowledge your mistake publicly, don’t be afraid to apologize, and ensure that you are creating space for folks to share their own feelings and experiences as well. If a student comes to you with an issue, thank them for doing so.
- While it can be great to ask the student bringing forward a concern what they need, make sure you’re not asking them to come up with solutions. If they suggest something, indicate that you will be taking on the labour of considering and integrating that suggestion.
- When you apologize, back it up with a tangible action or set of actions that you will commit to in order to redress any harm (e.g. “I will not use that reading again in any future iteration of this course.”).
- Check-in with students that are affected by harm happening in the classroom. You can chat with them privately after class if they are comfortable talking to you; if they are not, respect their wishes.
- Regular check-ins with the whole class, where possible, is ideal. Don’t be afraid to ask them how they’re feeling and how they’re experiencing the class. Elicit feedback in various ways (e.g. anonymous google forms and suggestion boxes, polls, etc.) and throughout the term.
- Provide content/trigger warnings when you are discussing racism and other topics that might have adverse impacts on students. Content warnings should be delivered verbally and on slideshows. Acknowledge that, depending on lived experience, some folks may be impacted by what you are discussing. Provide actionable self-care steps and resources that students can access as needed (e.g. taking a break, following up with their TA/instructor, contacting a support service, etc.).
Outside of the Class
- Continuously solicit feedback about your teaching through an anonymous google form or survey that is open throughout the duration of the course.
- If you want to work with a racialized student or you wish to garner their feedback, provide them with a fully paid opportunity that adequately compensates them for their labour. Do not ask that they do this for free.
- Be accommodating and understanding of racialized students’ experiences. If they require academic support or other services, do not demand disclosure or explanation.
- Have campus resources available and on-hand to ensure you are equipped to direct students to an appropriate resource that they might require.
- Make yourself available to students for informal debriefs or discussions about how class can be made safer (e.g. office hours, drop-ins, etc.).
- Publicize anti-racist events happening on campus and in the community during class or on your course site (e.g. you could make it a “what’s going on?” tab that students could also add to).
- Show up to protests, events, and initiatives that are anti-racist!
Pedagogical Changes
- Thoughtfully and intentionally dedicate space and attention to discussions of racism. Don’t make it optional or tertiary; rather, think about ways that you can discuss race, racism, and racialization in various ways throughout the course.
- Do not use educational content that is harmful (e.g. videos that depict racist violence, readings that use pejorative language, etc.)
- Invite and compensate guest speakers with lived experiences, and invite class suggestions for guest speakers.
- Add content to syllabi that is diverse and represents a broad range of epistemologies and lived experiences.
- De-centre and challenge whiteness openly and intentionally to foster critical analysis.
- Frequently update course outlines to reflect the current sociopolitical climate.
- Include and apply a race lens in discussions of all social issues. Don’t silo discussions of race from other dialogues.
- Consider authoring and including a statement in your course outline that recognizes race, racism, and racialization and commits to facilitating safety in the classroom.
- Always recognize and discuss histories of harm, violence, racism, confluence, etc. in course content for whatever you are teaching.
Capacity to Advocate Assessment
If you are still exploring your intentions and capabilities of intervening when racism happens in the classroom, assessing your capacity to advocate and be an ally is also a useful tool on this journey. Reflecting as asking yourself these questions can assess your readiness to do the work and some areas that may need more reflection and/or education before beginning (Caroline Belden, The Buzz):
- Who am I? How do my cultural identities impact what I value?
- Which of my identities are most salient for me in daily life?
- What is the history of this group’s struggle for equity?
- What is the history of this group of people in my own community?
- What language has this group of people asked us to use in discussing who they are and what they need?
- Have I allowed people to name themselves or am I naming people without knowing them?
- Where have I, perhaps unintentionally, negatively impacted someone in this community?
- How can I make amends that acknowledge more than just my intent?
- Where am I on my journey to living as an Ally?
- What circle of whiteness might I occupy?
- Where can I use my power to elevate the voices of this community?
- Where do I hear and see bias in my own community?
- How can I disrupt these narratives or norms with the knowledge I have gained?
- Where and from whom did I acquire this knowledge and are the sources reflective of the community I aim to be an ally to?
Group Guidelines
Group guidelines are a great strategy for establishing standards and expectations of engagement. As an instructor or a TA, it is imperative to facilitate dialogues about what a safer space looks like for people in the room. This can be done by co-creating a group guidelines contract with your students so you can all begin to think about how classrooms can be open and respectful. This might also break the ice and support students in feeling comfortable, prepared, and safe to participate in class dialogue.
Introducing group guidelines could include:
- Explain why group guidelines are important and how they set the standard for facilitating an open, respectful, and accountable classroom environment. Introduce it as an activity that students can actively engage with and participate in at the beginning of the course.
- Encourage students to share their own ideas about what they see as important to safety in the classroom. This can be done through google forms and other anonymous feedback methods, small group discussions, an open sharing circle in the first class, and/or a visual activity on a whiteboard or projector (dependent on class size).
- Share your own ideas for what safety looks like and why you feel it is important. For example, you could introduce the concept of “intent versus impact,” where everyone must be accountable for the effects of what they say, regardless of potential good intentions. This is an important step to demonstrate that you care about the classroom climate, which might make students feel more comfortable.
- Collaboratively outline steps that could be taken to ensure these guidelines are adhered to, including what can be done if someone missteps, how students can support each other, and how accountability can be imagined (and destigmatized). Here, you can co-develop a practice that students feel comfortable with, which then might take some of the tension out of participating and engaging as students know they won’t be “attacked” for making a mistake.
- Ask the class what they expect from you around facilitating classroom safety and outline the steps you will take to redress missteps or harms. Hold yourself accountable to this and let them know that this contract applies to you, too! This shows that you are open to learning, apologizing, and working toward positive changes.
- Create a copy of the guidelines that is readily available and accessible to everyone. Revisit these guidelines throughout the course as needed. They can be a great reflective point for students to engage with in their assignments, too.
For instances where harmful language is used, you should establish what is not tolerated firmly and clearly. You can refer back to the group guidelines to do so. This might make a racialized student feel more comfortable as they could now trust that you will not force them to undertake the labour of calling in/out or educating others.
When you make a mistake, which is inevitable, model the agreed upon practice established in the group guidelines. Rather than communicating weakness or a dissipation of authority, this practice will demonstrate to your students that you are accountable, thoughtful, and committed to anti-racist educational practices. As many students in our focus group stated, “show me, don’t just tell me!”.