As a new member who joined AUC’s Center for Learning and Teaching, I came to realize that during some faculty workshops , some faculty are often more dominant or imposing than others. This often makes the rest reluctant to participate as much. Yet, one always has the assumption that all faculty members are equal; sometimes we forget that real -life relationship/power dynamics are also carried into the workplace. Therefore, for upcoming workshops, I aim to let go of any assumptions about these faculty members (their position, title, etc), and actively or ‘intentionally’ ensure that all participants have time and space to speak, and pointing it out more clearly if I feel this is not the case.
IEH session 1 Reflection
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This work by Yasmine Abulfadl is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY Attribution 4.0 International License.
Hi Yasmine,
I don’t work at a center for teaching and learning, but I have noticed the same trend in professional development sessions, whether I’m leading the sessions or participating in them. There can be many reasons why some people are less willing to participate. For example, Mariam Maged noted in her reflection that some indivduals may be more introverted and others neurodivergent. And you correctly note that worksplace dynamics and hierarchies can negatively impact learning for some individuals. I have struggled with how to give the more reticent participants the opportunity to participate more fully without embarrassing them or anyone else in the group. One way is to design in different ways to participate, for example, anonomously in writing through an online tool. Another way is through activities like Think-Pair-Share. Do you have any other ideas?
Hi Yasmine, Thank you for sharing this reflection. Power dynamics are very “crippling” they can take away our confidence or even sometimes lead us not to liking what we love to do. The space we create in IEH sessions is an open one where we do not have titles and we come as equals to learn how to be equals.
By the way, did you know that in the higher learning institutions power over others is learned and used to intimidate – of all places – right? Also do you know that most people do not know what they are doing is wrong? They are just doing what everyone else does and they think it is ok.
I am hoping that you will speak up when something like this happens – look for someone you trust and share the experience and we will find a way of addressing it.
Again thank you Yasmine