5. Conclusion: Power and Privilege in the Classroom

We hope that this introductory module on Power, Privilege and Bias has helped you familiarize yourself with some key concepts and think about the way our identities influence our interactions with others in complex and multilayered ways.

The way we choose to share different parts of our identity with different people, and the way that parts of our identity remain hidden in our day-to-day life, can have an impact on our approach to teaching and learning.  Consider the following questions as a final reflection for this first module.

Think about the different courses you teach and consider which identities you present to students (especially on the first day of class):

Reflection Questions on Identities

	Are these identities generally visible or do you make them visible? Are these identities that you have actively chosen? Are these identities socially valued or more marginalized?

 

Now think about your students:

Reflection Questions About Your Class

	Are certain identities and voices made more visible/invisible in your classroom? What are you communicating about the value of certain identities in your classroom?

 

Let's connect these questions to the concepts that you have engaged with so far:

Connecting Questions to Concepts

	How would you characterize the connection between identity, power and privilege?  How do you navigate your own power and/or privilege as an instructor in light of your answers?

 

Now that you have completed this module, we invite you to continue your learning by exploring the theme of decolonization, thinking more concretely about inclusive teaching practices, learning about Universal Design for Learning, and/or considering difficult conversations in the classroom.