Throughout this course, I had the opportunity to reflect on a range of topics.

Educators need to find a balance between work and personal life so they do not become exhausted and fail to provide the attention and care their students deserve.

Among the concepts that made me reflect the most was the one raised in the article Do you Trust Your Students?. I believe it is important for students, especially freshmen, to have specific and clear guidelines because adjusting to independent living for the first time can be stressful. My biggest issue is trusting that they will complete what needs to be done at some point.

Though I frequently consider adapting the writing process model to meet the needs of my classes (I teach composition), I am always looking for ways to make them more flexible. I’ll think about this more over the coming weeks and months.

During the second week, I struggled with some equity issues, both within the classroom and at the institutional level. I reacted viscerally to the article A Dozen-Plus Ways You Can Foster Educational Equity even though I didn’t know why at first. I  finally realized that this article is tailored to a certain audience. I believe these ideas come from a well-intentioned place but both faculty and students of color prefer not to be seen as a project since it can imply silent segregation. It could also perpetuate an atmosphere of “us and them” which is counterproductive to the initial intention. I wonder how institutional equity can be handled in a more humane way. As I said in one of my posts during this course, we all want to be seen and accepted for who we are and not for preconceived stereotypes and labels.

As an instructor of composition, I make it a point to include readings from authors with diverse backgrounds, but I focus on the universal human condition. Storytelling facilitates connection across barriers. All it takes is the willingness to listen with empathy and compassion.

I hope these types of courses continue to be offered. Having the chance to interact with my colleagues is always a pleasure. Many thanks to the Colab for creating these reflective spaces.