SECTION THREE

“Teachers must be actively committed to a process of self-actualization that promotes their own well-being if they are to teach in a manner that empowers students.”

—bell hooks

The previous sections of this guide focused on what you might do before the term begins and during the term to support more equitable outcomes. One salient question remains: How will you know if these inclusive approaches are working and positively influencing your students’ learning and success? Gathering and reflecting on evidence that responds to this question is key to equity-minded teaching. Recall from the Introduction that one of the distinguishing features of equity (in contrast to similar constructs like diversity and inclusion) is its emphasis on outcomes. Our good intentions and use of equity-minded practices can make a difference, but they fall short if we do not take the time to monitor the impact of our teaching on student learning and success.

This section of the guide is meant to support your practice of critical self-reflection, as well as your gathering and processing of evidence throughout but especially at the end of the term, when you may have a bit more time. By reflection, we mean an intentional process whereby we examine and evaluate ourselves, our perspectives, our attitudes, our experiences, and the journey of our own learning. In The Courage to Teach, educational theorist Parker Palmer reminds us that teaching is a human activity and that “we teach who we are.”¹ That is, we don’t teach in a vacuum. We don’t isolate our identities, experiences, and biases and leave them outside the classes. We, like our students, bring all of ourselves into our courses. Such a commitment may also cause you to feel drained at the end of another busy semester, so we encourage you to take the time to rest and replenish yourself before trying out any of the suggestions in this section. As we noted earlier, your wellness is foundational: you matter!

The overarching equity-focused idea underlying this section is that teaching is a dynamic and two-way human endeavor. Yes, we read and enact evidence-informed teaching practices. At the same time, we recognize that teaching and learning cannot be standardized. No class or group of students will be the same, and no two students are alike. Thus, using our personal reflections, examining available data about our students and seeking our students’ input and insights will help us attain more equitable outcomes. The power of this work is directly correlated with our own openness to learning with and about our students—and ourselves. This willingness to learn is central to our personal journey toward becoming more connected, equity-minded instructors.

This section consists of two units: Unit 8 prompts your personal reflection and synthesizes the research concerning traditional student evaluations of teaching, typically referred to as SETs. Given their wide use across institutional types and availability to most instructors, SETs represent an important data source. While acknowledging and addressing the potential bias and common misuse of such data, the unit offers suggestions on how you can nonetheless use SET outcomes to improve student learning and success. Given the importance of more nuanced student feedback, Unit 9 offers alternative ways of gathering this input, continuing to reflect on your practice, and identifying refinements to make the next time you teach.