Competency 2
Infuse inclusive teaching practices into your educational practices by course re-design or adopting new teaching activities.
Improving Teaching Praxis through
Observations, Debriefings, and Reflections
Background
For Competency 2 in the Classroom Inclusivity series, I had the option of completing this badge through a self-directed project, similar to the other two competencies, or by engaging in three in-class observations following the PAITE (Protocol for Advancing Inclusive Teaching Efforts). I chose to do the PAITE alternative, since I wanted to get some external feedback on my pedagogical choices and practices. Therefore, I'd like to begin this reflection/post with some acknowledgments.
I'd like to thank the Rutgers Office of Teaching Evaluation and Assessment Research (OTEAR) so much for their support and commitment throughout the semester, engaging in very thoughtful discussions and guiding me in my teaching praxis. Special thanks go out to Christina, Alex, and Alicia - thank you for your time, great feedback, and suggestions. I appreciate you!
General description of PAITE (Protocol for Advancing Inclusive Teaching Efforts)
The PAITE is defined as a "classroom observation tool validated by research on inclusion as well as expert and student voices" that "can be used to provide instructors with general feedback on their observable inclusive teaching practices" (Addy et al., 2023, p. 66, emphasis my own).
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This protocol involves a series of observation codes that target specific inclusive teaching behaviors and practices that are marked and analyzed every two minutes (Addy et al., 2023, p. 83*):
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PRIOR: Prior Knowledge Assessment: The instructor measures students’ baseline knowledge or skills using a formal or informal assessment that is turned in.
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COMP: Comprehension Check: The instructors asks students questions that check their understanding through an informal, low-stakes assessment that is not turned in.
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DIVEX: Diverse Examples: The instructor provides examples that present a diversity of people, situations, perspectives, or ideas.
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MED: Diverse Visuals or Media: Visual materials (e.g., slides, images, videos, and other visual materials) are reflective of diversity or the instructor incorporates various (more than 1) forms of media (e.g., slides, films, music, videos, articles, simulations, etc.). Can include physical objects.
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REAL: Real-world Connections: The instructor applies course material or learning activities beyond the classroom.
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COM: Community Standards: Referenced by the instructor to hold community members accountable to an inclusive learning environment.
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REL: Relationship Building: The instructor allows time for informal student-to-student or student to-instructor conversation for relationship building.
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NAME: Student Names: The instructor calls on students by their names during class.
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AFFIRM: Verbal Affirmations: Instructor uses words of encouragement and praise that validate students’ contributions.
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GROW: Growth Mindset Language: Instructor focuses on process and progress of learning rather than on outcomes.
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EXCL: Address Exclusionary or Other Oppressive Acts: The instructor acknowledges and addresses exclusionary or oppressive acts if they occur during class.
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IDEN: Questions Based on Group Identity: The instructor asks questions based on group identity and avoids forced spokesmanship to avoid making assumptions about a particular student’s background.
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EQPART: Equitable Participation: The majority of the students are engaged in an activity in which they are actively participating.
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ACTIVE: Active Learning: The instructor uses active learning strategies which involve students engaging with the material and thinking about what they are doing.
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CHOICE: Student Choice: The instructor offers students the opportunity to choose between different activities or options
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O: Other: A teaching behavior not accounted for in the other codes (e.g., lecturing)
* These observation codes are listed in Addy, T. M., Younas, H., Cetin, P., Rizk, M., Cham, F., Nwankpa, C., & Borzone, M. (2022). The development of the protocol for advancing inclusive teaching efforts (PAITE). Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 12(0), 65–93. https://doi.org/10.5590/JERAP.2022.12.0.05
PAITE in Practice
In order to receive feedback on my inclusive teaching practices, I was observed three separate times throughout the Fall 2023 semester (Thank you, Alex and Alicia for your time, support, and detailed feedback!). Following the observations, I participated in debriefing sessions during which I discussed the observed practices with members from Rutgers' OTEAR, and considered specific points that I wanted to improve. (Thank you, Christina and Alex!) Below, I am detailing what inclusive teaching practices were observed during each observation, as well as my own reflections after the observation and debriefing session.
Observation 1: October 4th, 2023
Observed inclusive teaching practices
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The focus on this class was social media and online privacy. Some of the most prevalent inclusive teaching practices during this session were:
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Diverse Visuals or Media (MED)
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Active Learning (ACTIVE)
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Use of Student Names (NAME)
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Below, a visual representation of the presence of these inclusive teaching practices is provided:
Some of the qualitative remarks* that accompanied the more quantitative representation of my inclusive teaching practices were:
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"Instructor created a welcoming and comfortable learning environment by consistently calling students by name, using verbal affirmations to praise their contributions, and having informal relationship-building conversations."*
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"Active learning was utilized at various points throughout the class and allowed opportunities for equitable participation. Varying how groups were constructed for the various activities allowed students to work and create relationships with a larger range of other students. Student activities included verbal communication and written exercises to support learning goals."*
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"Instructor provided ample time, space, and feedback for students to focus on their process of learning, understand their mistakes and move forward. This allowed for consistent support of a growth mindset within students in the class."*
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"The use of diverse media including PowerPoint, video, and the use of the blackboard throughout the class was wonderful in allowing students various ways to connect with the content."*
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*Credit/Attribution for the qualitative remarks : Rutgers
Office of Teaching Evaluation and Assessment Research
Reflection
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Since this was my first observation, I did not really know what to expect. I knew I used most of the inclusive practices listed in the PAITE throughout a semester or course; however, I also realized that what practices appear during a particular class session is highly dependent on factors that may not be anticipated and have to be dealt with in the "now" (for instance, spontaneus student remarks). So, I was excited to learn what specific practices were observed during my October 4th class.
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I was not surprised to find out that using students' names was a common practice, since I always do my best to learn all of my student names by the end of the first week of class. (For in-person courses, during the first week, I always do introductions and ask students to tell me what they want to be called (i.e., name or nickname), and I also pay attention to the pronunciation of their name. In online courses, I usually ask students to record a brief introduction in which they mention their preferred name.)
Moreover, when I saw that diverse visuals or media and active learning were also among the most common practices, I thought to myself that this most likely derives from my experience as a language teacher. Specifically, when teaching a world language or a second language, it is more effective for second language acquisition to have learners engage with the language directly (i.e., through active learning), instead of just listening to the language teacher. Similarly, as a language teacher, I always try to provide a multimodal experience in the classroom, as illustrated by the use of diverse visuals or media.
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Additionally, one other practice that I think comes from my language teaching experience is relationship building. Specifically, during the debriefing session, I received positive feedback on the informal conversation that I have with students at the beginning of class, asking them about their week, about their classes, their plans for the weekend, etc. Given that the class I've been teaching this Fall 2023 semester is in Spanish and the majority of my students are Spanish learners who may be dealing with second language anxiety (i.e. a feeling of worry and nervousness in using a second language,), I always incorporate a more casual conversation at the beginning of class, so that they can become more at ease in the classroom. I should also recognize that, since one of my course goals is that students converse spontaneously in Spanish, these informal conversations also double as an opportunity for my students to practice their spoken Spanish skills in a low-stakes scenario. So, in my specific case, they do not "take away" from course-related content, instead, they complement other types of more structured speaking activities.
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Observation 2: November 1st, 2023
Observed inclusive teaching practices
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This class was the introductory session of a new module on Legends and Myths in the Spanish-speaking World. Some of the most prevalent inclusive teaching practices during this session were:
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Use of Student Names (NAME)
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Diverse Visuals or Media (MED)
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Comprehension Checks (COMP)
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Below, a visual representation of the presence of these inclusive teaching practices is provided:
Some of the qualitative remarks* that accompanied the more quantitative representation of my inclusive teaching practices were:
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"It was obvious that the instructor has cultivated a comfortable classroom learning environment for students. She takes time at the beginning of class (as she did during the first observation) to build relationships with students, asking them about how their Halloween was etc. Instructor reminded students of syllabus policies around flexibility of deadlines and encouraged students to reach out with any concerns about completing assignments."*
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"Instructor incorporated suggestions and student midcourse feedback, altering a major assignment to allow greater Student Choice. In the feedback, students mentioned they would appreciate feedback on pronunciation and therefore an option for a video was included in the assignment to allow instructor feedback on students’ speaking."*
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"Diverse media was used throughout the class period to support student learning and understanding, using both video and PowerPoint"*
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"The instructor demonstrated her willingness and comfort in altering some instruction based on student questions and interests. For instance, allowing students’ prior knowledge to steer the discussion and even doing a Google search to retrieve a picture of a food one student mentioned."*
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"She continues to utilize best practices affirming student answers and promoting a growth mindset as she allows students the space to make mistakes, ask for clarification, and progress in their learning."
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"The instructor continually checks for student comprehension and uses student names, to ensure understanding of material and support the positive classroom climate that has been obvious since the first observation."
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Additionally, since some of the inclusive teaching practices observed in the first session decreased during this second observation, the following was noted: "While the graphical representations of the codes from the protocol indicate the use of various inclusive teaching strategies decreasing from the first to the second observation, the observers would like to note the context, content, and goals of the particular class and explain some of these differences. For instance, during class discussions, the instructor supported students in conversing more with each other, allowing students to guide the conversation and respond directly to each other. This effective teaching practice promoted student ownership and engagement but did not allow for instructor affirmation or growth mindset to come out as much within this class period. The instructor also took considerable time to explain the changes to a main assignment based on student feedback, explaining in both Spanish and English to ensure student comprehension of expectations and the location of assignment details/rubrics (verbally explaining and showing in Canvas)."*
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*Credit/Attribution for the qualitative remarks : Rutgers
Office of Teaching Evaluation and Assessment Research
Reflection
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I expected to see some of the codes appear less than in the first observation, since this class was an introductory session for a new module. While, during "regular" classes, I try to be more of a facilitator and not spend too much time lecturing or talking (especially since the class was a conversation class and I wanted students to do most of the talking), introductory sessions have a bit of a different structure. Since I want students to understand the expectations for the module, as well as understand what assignments and/or assessments might be associated with the module, I take some time to go over this, answering and clarifying any questions that students might have. ​During this presentation of the module, I also engage in code-switching, meaning, I use both Spanish and English, to ensure that students have understood what is expected of them for that particular module.
Therefore, the presence of comprehension checks as one of the most common inclusive teaching practices observed, as well as one of the behaviors that increased from the first observation, was not surprising, since it reflected the different focus of the class.
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Overall, considering the differences between the first observation and the second one, one of my main takeaways is that different class sessions will be characterized by certain inclusive teaching behavios appearing more or less depending on the format of that respective class session. Therefore, I think it is important to not focus only on the quantifiable component of practicing inclusive teaching (i.e., how many times did I do X?), but also reflect on the specific context and situation of that class session, since there may be a need to prioritize certain practices over others at different moments in the instruction.​
Observation 3: November 29th, 2023
Observed inclusive teaching practices
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The focus on this class was The Royal Academy of Spanish (RAE) and prescriptive versus descriptive language. Some of the most prevalent inclusive teaching practices during this session were:
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Use of Student Names (NAME)
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Diverse Visuals or Media (MED)
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Equitable Participation (EQPART)
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Below, a visual representation of the presence of these inclusive teaching practices is provided:
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Some of the qualitative remarks* that accompanied the more quantitative representation of my inclusive teaching practices were:
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"Instructor continues to incorporate diverse media and visuals to support student learning including media that students may be able to connect more with such as TikTok. She used Spanish subtitles on all videos to provide both an auditory and visual means of understanding. She thoughtfully replayed one of the videos where a native speaker was speaking very fast to allow for differences in the speed of student comprehension. She also posted both the videos and transcripts on Canvas for students to utilize later as needed. "*
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"The instructor made a conscious effort to use diverse examples and also explained to students the limitations of some of the policies and regulations of the Real Academia Española. This was important for students to understand the instructors’ acceptance of diverse dialects and vernacular of Spanish speakers in creating an inclusive learning environment. "*
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"This was a hard topic for students to understand, but the instructor utilized this opportunity to affirm and support students’ growth mindsets"*
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"She conscientiously incorporated opportunities for student choice allowing students to choose between two topics and equitable participation working in pairs to discuss what they had read. Active learning has been a standard element within all the observations and clearly supports student learning and engagement."*
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*Credit/Attribution for the qualitative remarks : Rutgers
Office of Teaching Evaluation and Assessment Research
Reflection
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I have to admit that I was kind of nervous for this class because the topic of the class is directly related to my research work, so it is a topic with which I have been critically engaging for multiple years. I wanted to be mindful of my own positionality entering the classroom, since I did not want to impose my views on students. I acknowledged this at the beginning of class and let my students know that, while I do not support the policies that the Royal Academy of Spanish promotes, I do not aim to impose my views on them and I encourage them to reach their own informed opinions and positions.
I expected certain inclusive teaching practices to appear more than others, since, throughout the other two observation, they were among the most common in my inclusive teaching arsenal. Thus, I was not surprised to see that using students' names and using diverse visuals and media were the two most common practices. Additionally, I think that the increased presence of equitable participation as an inclusive teaching practice aligns with some of the other practices I incorporated in that class, such as student choice and real life examples. Specifically, for one of the in-class activities, students had to choose a topic that interested them, either the impact of the Royal Academy of Spanish on gender-inclusive language, or the impact of the Royal Academy of Spanish on the introduction of new words in the dictionary, and then, they had to present it to their peers. By introducing this type of activity in which they get to choose how to engage with an activity, students are able to guide and regulate their learning. Moreover, during this class session, I also included several TikTok videos in order to illustrate that the topic of the Royal Academy of Spanish, as well as that of linguistic prescriptivism and descriptivism, is critically interrogated outside of the academic space, since language is intrinsically connected to identity, social and cultural capital, race, ideology, politics, etc.
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Final comments and reflection
The graphic below represents visually the inclusive teaching practices observed throughout the three observations:
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Ovarall, the experience of engaging in a series of observations was extremely enriching, since it gave me an opportunity to receive formative feedback on my teaching practices. Furthermore, the debriefing sessions provided a space for reflection that allowed me to adjust and improve the pedagogical choices I was making.
Lastly, I have already extended my thanks , but I genuinely want to convey my appreciation to OTEAR for their commitment to classroom inclusivity, as well as their support throughout this semester!
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