If you have to identify a student during a class, do not use racial or gendered terms. It is best to use names whenever possible, otherwise find neutral descriptors.
We take five seconds before we start the class to have everyone write their name out and have a sign in front of them, so we can actually address them by name, and it also works as an icebreaker activity. – Library staff member
- Examples
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- If you’ve asked for volunteers and several hands have gone up, you could call upon “the student at the back” or “the student in the red shirt,” as opposed to identifying the student by assumed race or gender.
- Consider activities that help you use students’ names, as this can facilitate a more personal and inclusive approach.
- Note that spotlighting students for individual contributions to a class is not generally good practice, as this can make more introverted students highly uncomfortable – such students could contribute in other ways, such as in written exercises, electronic polls, or pair-based activities.
- If you’ve asked for volunteers and several hands have gone up, you could call upon “the student at the back” or “the student in the red shirt,” as opposed to identifying the student by assumed race or gender.