Creating Safe Learning Spaces Kimberly Cherry, MMFT, LMFT - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Whole Student

Views from the Couch on Creating Safe Learning Spaces

Kimberly Cherry, MMFT, LMFT University of Louisville Counseling Center

Introductions

 Hello  Thank you for being here and for your work.  Take moment to consider what you hope to get out the discussion.  When you hear “safe spaces” what comes to mind? Jot down word or phrase.

What We Do

Who Are Our Students?

 Traditional 17-22 y/o, graduate students, older students (therefore different stages of biopsychosocial development)  Rural and Urban  All socioeconomic statuses  U.S. Citizens, undocumented, DACAmented, immigrants, refugees, foreign, first generation  Various ethnicities and cultures and languages  Cisgender and Transgender, genderqueer, Gender noncomforming  Heterosexual and LGB, queer-identified, asexual or aromantic, polyamorous, monogamous  family make up- living with FOO, single, dating, partnered, married, separated, divorced, children  Veterans, active duty  Students changing careers or beginning school later  various levels of ability (cognitive, physical, learning, psychological)  first generation college students  diverse ideologies (religious, political, cultural)

The University: Place of Transition

 differentiating from family of origin  moving (house, city, state, country of origin)  change in social network  career shift or change  changes in language and culture  changes in identity  changes in ideas and worldviews  brain development

Change and Life Stress

Stages of Change

“Moments of difficulty" are inevitable and safe spaces allow students to take risks and explore concepts as they consider unfamiliar perspectives.

Gayle, Barbara Mae Dr.; Cortez, Derek; and Preiss, Raymond W. (2013)

“There is no birth of consciousness without pain.” C Jung “The danger is that considering emotional, enduring issues can stifle careful interrogation and deep learning. Risk-taking is part of academic life and intellectual growth, and participatory inquiry is at the center of challenging pedagogy.”*

*Gayle, Barbara Mae Dr.; Cortez, Derek; and Preiss, Raymond W. (2013)

What is a Safe Space?

Therapeutic Space

 Structure  Content  Relationship  A way of Being  Process  Self of the Therapist

Academic Space

 Course Description  Syllabus  Class Dynamics  Outside the Classroom

Curriculum Design and Learning Process

 Structure- course description, syllabus, participation grade, deadlines, absences, exceptions, boundaries and limitations  Content- pedagogy, sources and subjects included in curriculum, language, campus and community resources  Relationship and Class Dynamics (Process)- discussion guidelines, participation, questions and answers, resistance, feedback, availability  Self of the Teacher- self care, consultation

Mindfulness

 What is included in your syllabus? How do you ensure students feel included through language on syllabus, policies, and content included?  What identities are dominant in your field or in your department? What is the make up of your class? What are similarities and differences? What characteristics/identities are absent?  Who talks first? Who hesitates or does not speak? What voices may be

• utnumbered? What voices are often silenced in society?

 How can you value content as well as process? How are you sensitive to content being inclusive? How do you think about the process of your class being conducive for all students to learn? How do you gather feedback about the content and process of your class?  How do you pay attention to yourself and take care of yourself? How do you practice noticing your own biases or discomfort with specific subjects or people?

Take Away

 Differences or similarities in your original reactions to “safe spaces?”  What one or two things might you implement within the next week?  What is something you might implement within the next year or two?  Thoughts? Feedback? Further Inquiry?

References

 Duncan, Barry L. (Ed); Miller, Scott D. (Ed); Wampold, Bruce E. (Ed); Hubble, Mark A. (Ed). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association The heart and soul of change: Delivering what works in therapy, 2nd ed.(2010).  Gayle, Barbara Mae Dr.; Cortez, Derek; and Preiss, Raymond W. (2013) "Safe Spaces, Difficult Dialogues, and Critical Thinking,"International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Vol. 7: No. 2, Article 5.  Hitz, Zena. (2016) “What is a safe space? The mind of a student able to think critically,” Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com  Paul, R. and Elder, L. (2010). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools. Dillon Beach: Foundation for Critical Thinking Press.  American Stress Institute. http://www.stress.org/  The Transtheoretical Model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983; Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992. Prochaska & Velicer, 1997.)