In this workshop, educators will return to their essential “WHY”—why you were called to teaching and why your STEM teaching practice matters.
The workshop will center on a key part of being an effective, inclusive educator: self-exploration and reflection. We will use concepts from education and social justice scholarship to think about your individual philosophies of education and name the ways that your intersectional identities position you in relationship to the world, your students, and the disciplinary content you teach.
You will leave this workshop with the beginning of an Educator Philosophy & Positionality Statement that addresses your experiences, your calling to teaching, how you think about learning, and how you think about your role in creating equitable learning opportunities. Teachers at all stages of professional development are encouraged to participate, with opportunities to start from scratch in creating a statement, adapt a statement that you haven’t touched in years, and/or revisit a statement with a social identity orientation.
Logistics:
- This workshop is aimed at K-12 teachers; informal educators are welcome.
- 3 STEM clock hours available pending approval.
- There is a $20 deposit to register, which will be refunded upon completion of the workshop.
- We will be meeting online via Zoom; the link will be included in your confirmation email after registering for the event
Objectives:
- Participants will learn & unpack the concept of “positionality” as it relates to relationships, communities, institutions and society.
- Participants will explore their own positionalities of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability and/or religion, among other social identities, through reflective and interactive exercises.
- Participants will define and/or redefine their educator philosophy through writing, storytelling & discussion.
- Participants will begin to draft a personalized Philosophy & Positionality Statement.
- Participants will generate individual & collaborative systems of accountability for returning to their Statement throughout the school year and into the future.
