Norms for the Classroom

I'm really glad that we took time in class on Monday to talk about the norms that we wanted for our classroom. I think it is really important to put things out in the open from the beginning so that everyone can feel comfortable and secure sharing personal thoughts/feelings/ideas, etc. It can be difficult in a class focused on power and diversity to all agree on issues and have the same opinions. I appreciated that we were able to come up with some rules/norms for our class individually and then collectively create a list. I have been in classes before where people are rude, ignorant, or indifferent to other's feelings, backgrounds, etc. and it doesn't create a very happy and comforting classroom environment. It is important to listen to each other, have powerful and meaningful discussions and debates, and take other people's different backgrounds/feelings/opinions/personal experiences into accounts when making judgements. I extend that courtesy to others and I expect that in return!