This week we focussed on facilitator biases. The idea was to think about how we come to form opinions about our learners. As humans we are constantly making judgments based on
a) Patterns we come to observe over a period of time
b) Personal experiences including the conversations we have with other people
c) Habits and practices we have been told to perform and follow
The online chat and handouts specifically focused on helping us articulate the biases we posses as facilitators and how it comes out in our action in the classrooms.
To take an example of the categories we found in the worksheets - we had used categories like Messy, Dumb, Lazy, Disinterested etc. What does that tell us about how we come to give a name to these categories?
We also had an example where we think that old trainers are not willing to adopt new teaching methods. One way we make this opinion is these trainers ask us questions which we perceive as resistance. Can we question that - and wonder if they are asking us question in order to understand the method better?
This shift could help us look at things in a different way - that is open and provides space for further enquiry and not get closed.
When we make judgements we are restricting our thinking process and reinforcing the ideas we have about things. If one pays close attention, in the process, we are focusing only on what we are doing as facilitators and it is largely coming from the focus on self - "The student is not liking my teaching", "he is a older trainer, so I should not push him to adopt" - this way we affect the next step we would take if we had focused on the student instead of our own self - "Why does he look disinterested?", Why is she questioning this more than the others?"
While it is quite natural for us to reach a conclusion about things that are happening in front of us, it could be a good practice to be aware that these are judgements, take one step back and question why we are thinking like that.
A cycle of practice one could try to follow is -
a) Patterns we come to observe over a period of time
b) Personal experiences including the conversations we have with other people
c) Habits and practices we have been told to perform and follow
The online chat and handouts specifically focused on helping us articulate the biases we posses as facilitators and how it comes out in our action in the classrooms.
To take an example of the categories we found in the worksheets - we had used categories like Messy, Dumb, Lazy, Disinterested etc. What does that tell us about how we come to give a name to these categories?
We also had an example where we think that old trainers are not willing to adopt new teaching methods. One way we make this opinion is these trainers ask us questions which we perceive as resistance. Can we question that - and wonder if they are asking us question in order to understand the method better?
This shift could help us look at things in a different way - that is open and provides space for further enquiry and not get closed.
When we make judgements we are restricting our thinking process and reinforcing the ideas we have about things. If one pays close attention, in the process, we are focusing only on what we are doing as facilitators and it is largely coming from the focus on self - "The student is not liking my teaching", "he is a older trainer, so I should not push him to adopt" - this way we affect the next step we would take if we had focused on the student instead of our own self - "Why does he look disinterested?", Why is she questioning this more than the others?"
While it is quite natural for us to reach a conclusion about things that are happening in front of us, it could be a good practice to be aware that these are judgements, take one step back and question why we are thinking like that.
A cycle of practice one could try to follow is -
- Becoming aware of what our biases and assumptions are and articulating those for ourselves - "He just doesn't want to learn."
- Observing the manifestation of these biases and assumptions in our actions in the classroom - "I will not pay any attention to him; he is disinterested and I can do little about it."
- Examining and verifying whether the assumptions that we have made are true or not - this would mean getting to know your learners in the true sense - knowing their expectations, knowing their existing level of knowledge, the context that they come from - "Is he really disinterested or there is something that is bothering him?"
- Addressing your biases and trying to relook at them from a neutral standpoint - "Talking to the student one-on-one and understanding the reason behind his behaviour"
As a next step, it would be useful for you to go back to the handout and try to think about your past experiences and draw a connection to the current biases you have.
It is important to note that it is quite natural for us to make opinions and it cannot change just through this activity. However we could use this course to become aware of this and identify ways and means to address it and enhance our classroom interactions.
No comments:
Post a Comment