Advice for Faculty

Advice for Faculty to Overcome Barriers to this work

1. Embrace a Growth Mindset: Decolonizing your teaching will be a continual learning and growth journey. It may feel uncomfortable or challenging sometimes, but it’s essential to remember that growth often comes from discomfort. Embrace this journey with an open mind, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and change.
2. Seek Support and Collaboration: Collaborate with your colleagues, join professional learning communities, and reach out for support when needed. Shared experiences and ideas can be highly beneficial in overcoming barriers and generating solutions.
3. Prioritize Student Voices: Always center your students in your decolonization efforts. Seek out their perspectives, listen to their experiences, and involve them in your efforts as much as possible. Their insights can greatly aid your understanding of what changes need to be made.
4. Be Patient with Yourself: Decolonization is not a quick process. It’s a slow, ongoing journey of change and growth. Be patient with yourself, celebrate your small victories, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Keep moving forward, even if the progress seems slow.
5. Continuous Professional Development: Engage in professional development programs focusing on decolonization. These programs can provide valuable knowledge, tools, and strategies to aid your efforts.
6. Advocate for Change: Advocacy is a key part of decolonization. Speak up about the importance of this work, share your experiences with colleagues and administrators, and encourage others to join in these efforts. This can help to build a collective commitment to decolonization.
7. Use Diverse Materials: Incorporate various perspectives and voices in your course materials. This enriches your curriculum and models a decolonized approach to learning for your students.
8. Reflect on Your Practices: Regular self-reflection is essential to this process. Reflect on your teaching practices, biases, and beliefs, and be open to questioning and changing them as necessary.
9. Be Open to Feedback: Be open to receiving feedback from students, colleagues, and others. This feedback can provide valuable insights into what’s working, what’s not, and what changes might be needed.
10. Persistence: Decolonization may face resistance and setbacks. It’s important to persist, believing in your efforts’ importance and long-term benefits. Your work is valuable and can make a meaningful difference in students’ learning experiences.