When creating community, I think that getting to know students on a somewhat personal level is important; ice breakers are a useful tool for this. I also think that student reflections can be used to get a sense for how students think about topics we discuss in labs, which can inform how I try to shape the classroom space. As an educator, I think it is important to lead with questions and keep my opinions somewhat in the background. I can work to foster meaningful conversations that embrace a diversity of perspectives by asking open questions rather than closed or leading questions. By being intentional about the questions I ask and how I ask them, I can invite students to share their perspectives. By being intentional about the way I respond to students’ answers, I can make students feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions even when they aren’t sure if those thoughts are “right.” I can also foster meaningful conversations by leaving space for conversations in small-group and whole-group form throughout the lab experience rather than having one culminating discussion at the end. By providing many different spaces for conversation, I can encourage students to share their thoughts even as they evolve and change. This creates more meaningful conversations because students are aware of how their perspectives might be changing as they learn more about the topic being discussed. I think it’s important to notice and talk about how our perspectives can change because this leads to better experiences working with other people. A quote that sticks with me is, “Spiritual humility is not about getting small. It is about encouraging others to be big.”
