I really love this prompt, and it was interesting to do it as a workbook activity. At first, I thought I’d have trouble identifying baggage for myself b/c, ahem, I’m an enlightened pedagogue. ? But as I started to write, I came up with plenty to say: anxiety about my teaching being “enough” for students, a continued hang-up about what “fairness” should look like, some imposter syndrome, and the always lurking “are students trying to get away with something?” question (although, admittedly, that’s not really a current piece of baggage; I feel like I put that one down a while ago).
Interestingly, I think the thing I need to deal with all of this is trust — in my students, myself, my community, and the process.
What would I pick up? A more authentic sense of teaching, a new kind of “fairness” that honors each individual student, and more enjoyment! It’s just more fun to not carry this baggage around! edit
