Educator Identity Development Model By Sayumi Irey, Ph.D. Spring, 2015

Our goals for this morning

Step 1 Assimilation to dominant educational system

Assumption Only a few students are “real” learners.

Hierarchical Learning as individual experience Use jargon (e.g., BA, thesis statement) Stereotyping or type-casting students Banking system Content is most important Educator as authority figure Disconnect with students’ real lives and challenges (e.g., I have the same expectations for all students.)

Question 1– small group Think back when you were a student. What was your best learning experience at school?

Step 2 Dissonance

Assumption Not all students can learn.

Questioning the traditional educational system Educators are not always “right” or “correct” Lecture style does not always work for all students Not all students have the “same” access to education (“Haves” and “Have Nots”) Content is not always most important for students’ learning

Question 2 – write and share What makes you happy as an educator? How do you feel when you express such feelings?

Step 3 Resistance

Assumption Many students can learn with “right” teaching tools.

Rejection of the values and norms of traditional education “Blind” endorsement to other educational system (e.g., Japan, Australia, etc) New educational fads as the “only method” to change education

Question 3 - small group What was the most recent new teaching method you incorporated? What was the value behind introducing this particular method of teaching?

Step 4 Introspection and Awareness

Assumption All students can learn.

Acknowledgment: there are many ways to learn Students’ lives as critical part of their learning experience Several “isms” and/or intersections of student identity influence how each student learns (e.g., racism, sexism, etc) Higher education has specific culture and language that are exclusive to many students Relationship precedes learning

Question 4 – Reflection What would it take for all students to be able to learn?

Step 5 Articulation & Activism

Assumption Every student can contribute to our learning.

Learning as shared experience Intentional active learning Desire to eliminated oppressive educational system for all students Educator as an life-long active learner

Question 5 – reflection & share What is your take home after this session?

References Helms, J. E. (Ed.) (1990). Black and white racial identity attitudes: Theory, research, and practice. Westport: Greenwood. Kim, J. (2001). Asian American identity development theory. In Wijeyesinghe, C.L., & Jackson, B.W. New perspectives on racial identity development: A theoretical and practical anthology (pp ). New York: NYU Press.