Deer in the Headlights Syndrome
This quarter, graduate students enrolled in ENVS 597: Power, Privilege, and the Environment are writing short responses emerging from readings and/or discussions in class.
Deer in the Headlights Syndrome
By: Amy Fitkin
You know the feeling. Sitting in class after your professor asks a question, thinking you know the answer but are not confident if it is correct. What if you’re wrong? What if someone disagrees with you? What if you don’t articulate your thoughts in a way that makes you sound “scholarly”? Encouraging student engagement in the classroom can be one of the biggest hurdles that an educator can face and knowing how push beyond the wall of shy, quiet behavior is not always simple.
As a graduate student, I have learned that certain “touch” classroom topics tend to bring about the dreaded radio silence. Those tough topics include: race, sex, queer studies, indigenous culture, and social and environmental justice. As an aspiring educator, I ask myself “why aren’t myself and my peers participating in discussion or voicing thought-provoking questions?”. I have put together a list of potential classroom silencing factors to further understand the problem:
– Fear of speaking in public
– Imposter syndrome
– Being uncomfortable or unfamiliar with topics
– Afraid of being “wrong”
– Fear of retribution or judgement from peers and the instructor
– Learning style conducive to “being a sponge”
– Not engaged in the topic or the academic setting
– Shyness
– Speech impediments
– Personal conflicts outside of the classroom
– Avoiding the feeling of taking up too much space
And I’m positive that the list goes on.
As an educator, it is important to recognize that within a classroom there are a suite of emotions and experiences that contribute to each student’s participation, particularly when speaking out loud; however, setting the community up to be grounded in a safe, brave and encouraging space will allow students to push beyond their shell of comfort and engage with a topic. Emotional security and support is crucial to facilitate within the classroom, particularly when a difficult or potentially triggering subject is being investigated. As well as developing social-awareness and strengthening decision-making skills.
Below I have compiled a list of sources (everything from blog posts to research papers) that I find to be helpful in understanding how to encourage participation in the classroom:
Tackling Tough Topics in Your Classroom
How Do We Know When Students Are Engaged
Students’ Classroom Engagement Produces Longitudinal Changes
How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement
jessicaibes • May 25, 2019