Decolonizing Classroom Participation
This session is part of the Decolonization Workshop Series.
This three-part series invites faculty members, instructors, and teaching assistants to reflect on what it means to take a decolonial approach to teaching and learning. Drawing on Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang’s reminder that “decolonization is not a metaphor,” the series distinguishes decolonization from Indigenization and inclusion, and explores how colonial legacies continue to shape higher education. Together, we will consider how to reimagine virtual and in-person classroom participation, assessment practices, and our broader academic contexts in ways that are more just, relational, and responsive.
This series is limited to faculty, instructors and graduate students, staff at Dal & King’s.
Tuesday, November 4
2–3 p.m.
Online or in-person (Killam Library, Room B400*)
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Classroom participation is often narrowly defined: speaking quickly, confidently, and frequently. These norms privilege certain voices — often male, extroverted, or Euro-Western — while silencing or penalizing others, particularly women, gender-diverse students, and those from non-dominant cultural backgrounds. In this workshop, faculty members, instructors, and teaching assistants will examine how gendered, cultural, and colonial expectations shape our perceptions of “good participation” and how these assumptions influence teaching, feedback, and grading practices.
Drawing on Indigenous pedagogical principles that value listening, relationality, storytelling, and collective knowledge-building, participants will:
- Reflect on their own biases in assessing participation.
- Explore alternative ways of recognizing and valuing student engagement.
- Co-create strategies for designing more inclusive, equitable, and relational learning environments.
This session invites instructors to critically reimagine participation, ensuring that all students have opportunities to contribute meaningfully and authentically, while also honouring diverse ways of knowing, being, and learning.
Facilitator
Rachelle McKay, Educational Developer, Indigenous Knowledges & Ways of Knowing
*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.
We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.
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Additional Information
Decolonization Workshop Series
The sessions run from 2–3 p.m. and take place both online or in-person (Killam Library, Room B400).
Decolonization in the Post-Secondary Context
Wednesday, October 8