At a recent (virtual) professional development day at Ball State University, I attended a session with David Concepcion in which he posed inclusive teaching as hospitality. He invited us to make a list of the ten most important things we consider when we invite people to our house for a gathering. Here are the things on my list:
Are there differences in the way I should greet/welcome people from various cultural or language backgrounds so each person will feel welcomed, valued, and affirmed?
As I look around my home, trying to see it through the eyes of each of my guests, what are the messages they might get from my what is displayed on the walls and in other art, decoration, and furnishings? Will each of my guests feel comfortable and safe in my house?
Did I invite people whose home language is not English (the only language in which I am fluent) and, if so, should I make sure to have someone who can interpret for me and them?
Should I assume everyone knows what is expected of them or will some people need a bit of direction? Should I ask?
Do I think this group of guests will just naturally connect with each other or should I plan some ice-breaker activities to help start conversations?
How is the physical space arranged? Is there enough room and enough separate spaces to meet people’s needs for personal space and safety?
Is my sense of the timing of the gathering sensitive to the work and life schedules of those I’ve invited?
Should I think about whether or not everyone will be comfortable wearing whatever they choose or should I give some indication in the invitation about that?
Do I have food that will be acceptable for everyone according to health, cultural, and religious requirements and preferences?
If I will have background music, should I search for a variety that will reflect the diversity of my guests?
I so appreciated this exercise because it challenged me to not only think about each of these considerations but about what I wanted for my guests and why, and to acknowledge that they might need different things than I would. Of course, it was clear that Dr. Concepcion was drawing a parallel with the classroom; what are the necessary environmental conditions for learning? At a social gathering, I want each of my guests to feel safe, comfortable, confident, accepted, and able to be grounded and respected in all their identities. I want that so they can interact with each other, make human connections across difference, and, ultimately, feel good about the experience.
The bandwidth required for these kinds of interactions is very similar to that needed to effectively learn; it seems to me we should attend to all of these considerations in our classroom at all educational levels. As was the point of the presentation, all of these elements are part of deep hospitality, intentionally creating learning environments in which students (and teachers) can be their authentic selves, bringing all aspects of themselves securely into interactions, and thus have access to most of their cognitive capacity for learning. And, hopefully, they will feel good about the experience and will want to persist in their educational journey beyond our classroom.