Reflective Moments Integrated into Praxis

Written by Michael Jackson II on June 7th, 2024

In the Fall of 2022, I started teaching English at Wayne State University; it was my first time teaching my own course. Only a few short months ago I had been in the same seat that my students now found themselves in. I wondered from day one as an instructor about how I could make my course more inclusive and accessible to my students regardless of whether they had a disability or not. English is often one of those subjects that students come in with preexisting thoughts about – many students would often remark that they hated English or they were not good writers. I wondered how I could unpack these feelings while also understanding what was going through my students’ minds as they went through the course.

Sadly, as I am sure many instructors would agree, our students are not so forthcoming about when they are struggling and why. They take the suffering in-silence approach to a whole new level, which only increases their negative disposition towards the subject matter. The first step in addressing all of this was designing the course with an intentional foundation based on inclusivity where students feel open, welcome, and safe to participate while still holding full responsibility for their learning.

To create a two-fold answer to addressing students' negative depositions towards the subject while providing space for them to address issues they have in the course as they happen rather than waiting for teaching evaluations to make a difference, I utilized what I call “exit tickets.” The idea of exit tickets was based in part on two books I had read during this time, which I will cite below for anyone interested. The idea is at the end of the class, you give students time for a quick moment of reflection using an index card where you ask for general information such as name, date, and course, but then you ask the students three questions. The first two are directly related to course content – how they feel about the material and if they need to review it more before being tested on it and the last, ask them about their win for the week. The last one is more about giving students the opportunity to practice positive thinking as I primarily teach first-year students, and that is a time of change, so any moment for positivity is welcomed.

These exit tickets allow for constant reflection. Students can answer in a low stake way about how they are doing, and we, as instructors, can identify students or sections that are having issues with the material and adjust our courses accordingly. This helps to not leave any students behind because, let us face it, waiting for SET scores does not help our struggling students at that moment, so integrating reflective moments that can help us adjust our praxis can benefit all parties.

If you would like more information on how to build more inclusivity in your classroom, please see the resource section of my teaching portfolio and the two texts I have linked below.

Teaching portfolio: https://michaelrjacksoniidotteaching.wordpress.com/

Tracie Marcella Addy, et al. What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching. Sterling, Virgina Stylus Publishing, LLC, 2021.

Hogan, Kelly A, and Viji Sathy. Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom. Morgantown, West Virginia University Press, 2022.

Michael Jackson II is a graduate teaching assistant for the department of English at Wayne State University, an R1 university located in the heart of Detroit, MI. I teach primarily first-year composition and Intermediate Writing. As a graduate teaching assistant at Wayne State University, Michael teaches first-year composition and Intermediate Writing allows me to engage with students at a critical stage in their academic journey. Michael is a passionate instructor who cares deeply about helping students develop their writing skills and critical thinking abilities, equipping them with the tools they need to succeed not only in their academic pursuits but also in their future careers.