Photograph of traditional Nepalese hair accessories called Laccha. Made up of red, green and yellow threads, mirror ornaments and beads
Initially, I had been so lost on what to plan/ do for my microteaching session. I lack confidence and with zero teaching experience, I dreaded not only just planning but actually facilitating the session with my peers. Attending one of the cross-programme seminars about Object-based learning (OBL) made me think about the value of objects and how they can be used in a learning environment.
To further understand how OBL can be used, I watched a youtube video titled, ‘Object-based learning, continuous professional development for teachers, Armagh 2019‘. Through the video, I learned about how you can have intercultural dialogue exchange. This gave me an idea of what to do with my Object-based micro-teaching session.
With my current reading list of Bell Hooks’s work (confronting class in the classroom) and Shades of Noir’s TOR – Inclusive practice, I thought about compassionate pedagogy. While planning for this session, I reflected back on my own experience as a student – how alienating it was, how I wasn’t able to belong.
I wanted to change this, address this.
I thought about creating a sense of belonging in the classroom space.
How can one be welcomed in a new learning space?
How can the students ‘fit in’?
In my micro-teaching session, one of my aims was to address and acknowledge our unconscious bias.
‘Hearing each other’s voices, individual thoughts, and sometimes associating these voices with personal experiences make us more acutely aware of each other’ (hooks, 1994).
I thought about my own positionality (my identity and the background of my work) and chose to bring a traditional hairpiece/accessory called laccha, given by my grandmother. This object is very dear to me, so I wanted to use this object in my session to not only open up conversation amongst each other but also hear one another. I wanted to use the object’s unfamiliarity and unconscious bias to create a learning space.
Some of the questions I used in my micro-teaching session:
- Where is this object from?
- Why do you think that?
- What is the object used for/ in?
- Does the object remind you of something?
After hearing the responses from my peers, I had asked them to read a snippet of my written work about the value of my chosen object. This piece was shown to inform my peers about what the object is, who gave it to me and why it is valuable to me. The reason I structured the session like this is that by sharing my story, I am encouraging my peers to do this too – which is one of the aims of my micro-teaching session.
I asked them to build/ draw their own object from memory; this could be an object that you valued in your childhood, or significant to you, in terms of your faith, culture, identity – or something that makes you feel safe.
One of the aims of the session is to bring everyone together by making them think, share and reflect – enabling them to be aware of each other. It is a learning opportunity, asking you to consider your own identity, culture, beliefs and values. After the first Q&A section, I came up with activity on building your own object from memory and sharing it with all of us in the class. While I initially asked my peers to draw their objects, I didn’t want the participants to feel restricted – I wanted the activity to be inclusive (doesn’t have to be just in drawing format), something they would feel comfortable sharing.
I wanted to build a safer space where through sharing and hearing, we learn about/ from one another.
Here are some pictures of my peers who participated in this session
Left top image: drawing of three rings with the text reading ‘from my mother and her sisters, they wore them in their youth, gave it to me when I was a teenager, lost one ring a few years ago’.
Left bottom image: drawing of a LP record and VHS tape.
Right image: drawing of a watch with three dials with text reading ‘This is my grandpa’s watch. I got it from him when he died. It doesn’t tell the time well because it’s old. I lost it some time ago and I can’t find it.’
Through this session, my peers opened up about memories of their grandparents, family influences, etc. They stated that these are the things you don’t normally talk about and how they still had the option to choose what they want to speak about. As these objects that they were sharing about very personal to them, they could connect/ engage with the activity at ease.
The feedback/ comments were from my micro-teaching session were:
- I quickly engaged in the activity
- Felt safe to share
- The open questions – it wasn’t offensive as I saw it as a learning opportunity
- I could connect personally as the objects created belonging
- How structured the session was as it consisted 2 parts – the session was inclusive, e.g, drawing, writing, verbal
- Took you to a world of your own when building their own objects
Reflection on the feedback:
During this feedback exchange, I learned about my responsibility in creating a safer space. As I speak about building a classroom community, asking them to share, it is important to consider how much information you/ the learners disclose in this space. I am considering forming ground-rule/ etiquette that I and the learners can commit to.
I really enjoyed delivering my micro-teaching and am glad that the session was engaging where intercultural dialogue was being exchanged. As I reflect upon this 20-minute session, I realise how much I can build upon this workshop. As my other aim of the session was to recognise the importance of our voice, maybe I can further plan on making this session on exploring how can learners integrate their narratives into their work.