Module 3
Faculty Development

Module 3

Module 3 – Telling my Story

Introduction

Many of us are unused to ‘telling our story.’ Where do we begin? What do we include? What are we comfortable including?

A good place to begin is reading, listening to and watching others tell their story.


Relevant resources:

Gorski, P. (2008). Good intentions are not enough: A decolonizing intercultural education. Intercultural Education, 19(6), 515-525. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253260693_Good_Intentions_Are_Not_Enough_A_Decolonizing_Intercultural_Education

Sanchez, N. (March, 2019). TEDxSFU – Decolonization is for everyone. https://youtu.be/QP9x1NnCWNY

Teaching In Higher Education. (January, 2019). Episode 241: Inclusive Pedagogy with Sylvia Kane – https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/inclusive-pedagogy/

To-Do:

Explore the stories of others:

Based on the identity you chose to explore in Module 2 (or you may want to explore another one):

Identify, describe, and illustrate (give examples & stories) 3-5 major values or characteristics from this identity.

NOTE: for the following components feel free to integrate all components around each value of your chosen identity OR use the step-by-step section approach shown here.

For a teacher, some profession-related values could be: timeliness, working through relationships, speaking up, starting with silence, hard work, empathy, responsibility, working together, etc. (see Appendix A: Guide to writing a culture and teaching autobiography, Chávez, & Longerbeam, 2016, pp. 209-214, from Module 1).You may choose to focus on non work-related values or trait but keep teaching/study abroad in mind.

  • For EACH value or trait that you have identified as originating in your culture(s):
    • First, describe each identity value or trait — explain and interpret each value or trait and tell stories or give examples to illustrate how this value or theme plays out in your life.
    • Second, discuss assumptions and beliefs underlying this value or theme and their meaning to you. What assumptions or beliefs about others or about the world serve as a foundation for this value or theme?

For example, if you come from a culture that interprets most things from a shared or collective (rather than individual) perspective, then working together is likely an underlying assumption beneath some of your values, behaviors, and beliefs. If you come from a culture or cultures that highly values individuality then self-reliance is a probable underlying assumption beneath many of your values, behaviors, and beliefs. If you find it helpful, you could start by discussing how this value or trait manifests itself more generally in your life and your behaviors, as well as what attitudes and motivations originate in this aspect of your upbringing. Be sure to provide examples or stories to illustrate each value or trait. These stories and examples are often helpful to deeper understanding (inspired by Chavez & Longerbeam, 2016)

  • Tell a story of personal experiences of these values (while studying, while choosing career, at work with colleagues, in family, etc.)
  • Tell story of how these values manifest in your teaching practice or in earlier study abroad experiences.

Choose 1-2 introspective practices to explore culture further:

Journaling, symbolic metaphoric process, recordings, discussions with a peer, word press blog, etc. (see https://newcreativejournaling.com/ – scroll down the front page to see short examples of creative journaling aka metaphoric process. See also the handout: Metaphoric Expressions for examples).

Using the Blackboard Learn Discussion Board, post a reflection based on ONE aspect of your reflection that you are comfortable sharing.

References

Chávez, A. F., Longerbeam, S. D., Montoya, C. N., & Lewis-Jose, P. C. (2020). Storied sketches: Making meaning of culture’s role in teaching. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 32(1), 125-137. Retrieved from https://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE3661.pdf

Adichie, C. N. (July, 2009). Danger of a Single Story – TED Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

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