With 1 in 10 students at the University self-identifying as being from an ‘equity cohort’, the impetus for teachers is to create culturally safe, responsive learning spaces for all. These spaces must include the decentreing or “normalising” of any particular group so that we may decolonise and create spaces where students are not consigned to the margins by virtue of any single identity. This presentation will explore what makes a space culturally unsafe for students, examine ways of teaching which expand our understanding of diverse student needs, and introduce a relational and responsive approach that includes identifying what comprises the “middle” and therefore, what keeps some students on the “margins”. Participants will leave with ideas for how they can create more culturally safe and responsive learning spaces in their own context(s).
Teaching@Sydney