Educator Book Discussion: "What Inclusive Instructors Do"

The Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation and educators discussed the title “What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching” By Tracie Marcella Addy, Derek Dube, Khadijah A. Mitchell, Mallory SoRelle (published by Routledge in 2021) on 11/2/23. This title is available in print at the MSU Main Library (Call Number: LB2331 .A34 2021) or as an eBook (via ProQuest EBook Central).

If you missed the discussion or want to continue your reflection, in addition to the great reflection questions incorporated in each chapter of the book, here are the prompts we used for our discussion:

1. The book defines inclusive instructors as the “literal embodiment of inclusion. Inclusive instructors generate spaces through their scholarship, service, mentorship, teaching, activism, and their very selves. To be an inclusive instructor is to critique and challenge traditions, systems and structures that were constructed to exclude and marginalize”.
   Is this aspirational or achievable? How / what would you add or change in the definition of an inclusive instructor? 

2. What are you currently doing to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments? How do you incorporate inclusivity in the beginning, middle, and end of the course? How do these things create and support educational equity and belonging?

3. The book talks about the importance of growth mindset in this work. That as humans we never "fully arrive". How do you (currently or aspire to) continue your learning and development journey in this area?

4. In your opinion, how can educators measure the effectiveness of their inclusive teaching practices? What indicators or assessment tools can help them gauge the impact of their efforts? The naming and framing of this work is important. How can/do you tell the story of your inclusive educator practices?
   
   

The group had a conversation rich with activities and resources. Here are a few of the items that came up:

• Resources:

• Microvalidations

• Power Wheel

• OFASD Learning Communities

• Practices and ideas from the group:

  • smaller assessments give students feedback on a limited amount of knowledge and they’re less likely to forget everything after the midterm

• removed all grades related to "participation" or attendance

• 1 min check outs (What rocked today? What sucked today?)

• Break large exams into the smallest chunks for learning assessments… this allows educators to demonstrate flexibility in large courses

• “made a mistake and I had total points of 105 - rather than correcting it, it gave students some room to miss deadlines on some of discussion forums”

• small-group exams

• “I have my quizzes open Monday and close Friday each week, and they can take as many times as they want while it is open - I still have students who don’t do them, so they will typically use the drops”

• “I've been offering flexibility in assignment format. Granted, I teach small grad-level courses so this might not work for larger undergrad courses. But I give students the option to do a traditional academic paper, powerpoint presentation with recorded narrative, or if they have other ideas I ask them to meet with me to talk it through.”