Today was a fun day: I met with students, worked on some items that we needed, and met with colleagues. Tonight we continued watching recorded sessions. Megan Knight, Associate Professor of Instruction in the Rhetoric Department from the University of Iowa, presented at the Elon Teaching and Learning Conference in June 2021. The presentation was entitled “After the Fire: Compassionate Critical Pedagogy.” Knight talked about the book Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto by Kevin Gannon that I finished reading last month. Knight began by recollecting the trauma we have lived and what we may have discovered that we want to carry forward. Knight talked about how difficult navigating the pandemic was in Iowa. The loss of contingent faculty at the institution and difficulties experienced were described by Knight. Having asthma, Knight was able to teach online and spoke about a sense of closeness in the courses they taught. The University of Iowa had a pass/fail grading system last semester, and Knight spoke about putting their energy in teaching and connecting instead of grades. Knight paused to ask the attendees to take a couple of minutes to think about discoveries and lessons identified in the past year. The transition to online learning was daunting for Knight, and the realization that the “standard tactics” did not work online. Megan Knight spoke about the panic of “returning to a beginner’s state.” Knight then made a really insightful comment: they realized that they should ask the students. Using the analogy of learning to drive, Knight described how as a novice you are almost paralyzed by the overwhelming amount of considerations and information. Attendees shared the challenges of balancing compassionate critical pedagogy and reaching programmatic goals, for example. Knight responded by highlighting the importance of pausing and managing student distress without losing focus on the goals.
The idea of resetting toward compassion is so so important!
Megan Knight, Elon Teaching and Learning Conference, 2021
Establishing safety and a foundation of trust through communication with other students were mentioned as ways to support students. Sharing decision-making with students and empowering voice and choice were mentioned as ways to raise and help students. Knight spoke about carrying forward the notion of the “classroom retreat.” Whatever the format of the teaching space, it can be a way to engage students. Knight reflected on how to redesign assignments so that they are multimodal and align with Universal Design for Learning principles. Contract grading and different ways of learning about our learning spaces were discussed in the context of critical pedagogy. Knight ended with a discussion of thinking of new ways of supporting students with kindness and compassion. While the message is one I have listened to a couple of times this past year, it was great to learn a new perspective from a professor in a different discipline. In a way, we are all learning to embrace discomfort and become learners. I am enjoying learning about online education and instructional design! I love meetings with BioQuest and the OER groups. And, I believe this all affects how I teach and interact with students.
