My goal as a teacher is to create a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful learning environment in which all students have meaningful opportunities to participate and diverse perspectives are valued. To foster such an environment, I will learn about students' backgrounds and social identities through activities such as the Social Identity Wheel. This activity encourages students to reflect on the ways their identities become visible or felt in different contexts and how those identities shape their experiences. It also invites them to consider which aspects of identity are most significant to their own self-understanding and how they may be perceived by others. Throughout the course, I will use ice-breakers to build rapport and create opportunities for students to get to know one another. For example, students might share the number of languages they speak or respond to lighthearted “This or That” questions, creating opportunities for connection while recognizing the varied experiences students bring to the classroom.

To learn about students' previous experiences in the classroom and their expectations for the course, I will invite them to share their perspectives through open-ended questions. I will also use agree-or-disagree statements to learn about their interests, perspectives, and prior knowledge. This will allow me to take students' strengths and needs into account in the design and delivery of the course.

Course materials will include work by historically underrepresented groups and content that engages diverse ideas and perspectives. I will also take students' background knowledge into account and invite them to contribute suggestions for course topics, readings, and other materials. To accommodate different ways of engaging with course material and demonstrating knowledge, I will use a variety of formats, including readings, podcasts, discussions, active learning strategies, and documentary films. These active learning approaches create opportunities for positive interaction and meaningful connections among students. When forming groups, I will use approaches based on non-visible characteristics, such as birth month, to promote diversity and avoid marginalizing students who belong to underrepresented groups.

I will provide students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and choices in research topics and modes of presentation. I will also distribute opportunities to present, lead discussions, and contribute to group projects equitably. In class discussions, I will use strategies that allow students time to formulate their thoughts before speaking and create opportunities for a range of voices to be heard. In group work, I will encourage students to rotate responsibilities and share speaking and other forms of participation. I will also ask students to reflect on what they have learned from their classmates, emphasizing that learning can take place through engagement with perspectives and experiences different from their own.

Assessment will include multiple components, including opportunities for self-evaluation and peer feedback. Throughout the course, I will seek students' feedback at several points to better understand the classroom climate and their learning experiences. I will review their feedback, share relevant themes with the class, and use it to inform adjustments to my teaching and the course as appropriate.