Sara Koopman

Here is a link to the class blog from a recent class (Geography of Development), and here is the syllabus.

I tell my students that my goals are that my classes will offer them an opportunity to:

• Change the way you see the world around you, and your role in it. Have a better sense of how you want the world around you to change, and the role that you want to play in creating that change.

• Grasp key concepts, the work that they do, and the work that goes into the constant shaping of them.

• Gain study, technical, and communication skills that will serve you in school, work, and life.

• Serve the community by creating public knowledge that contributes to social change.

I have taught as a sessional instructor in my department, University of British Columbia Geography.  I designed an entirely new syllabus for the third year course, Geography of Economic Development (the catalog title, which I broadened to ‘human development’).  I had 50 students. Despite the large class size I spoke with each student several times and helped them individualize each assignment so that the subjects spoke to their own interests and goals and the assignments as a whole fit together for each student.

I enjoy designing creative assignments that do not go into what one student called “the black hole of undergrad assignments”, but that allow students to be part of public debate and contribute to public knowledge.  In this class I had students each edit a different wikipedia entry having something to do with development (ranging from “run of river” to “waste” to “colonialism”).  They also contributed to a class ‘vlog’ (video blog: blogs.ubc.ca/unevendevelopment/) with online videos of and by people in the global South most directly affected by development projects.  The commentary on these videos, and the debates about whose voices could be heard in the North and how, were offered back (as possible) to those who created the videos and to the community at large.

Students also each picked a different development non-governmental organization (NGO) early in the semester to be thinking about in relation to the readings.  With a class of 50 it was not feasible to go through the ethics clearance process to have them work with or even speak to the organizations, but many students had previous experience working with organizations that I encouraged them to draw on.  They also chose organizations they were potentially interested in working with in the future.  Their final papers were critiques of the NGOs, based on their websites and public documents, drawing on class readings and looking at issues such as colonial patterns, and how the voices of those affected by development were represented.  Many of these were quite insightful and sent to the organizations.  The full syllabus for the class is available at http://blogs.ubc.ca/unevendevelopment/syllabus/.

Before teaching my own class I designed and led discussion groups as a teaching assistant.  I worked for four semesters, 2005 – 2007, leading two to three sections each semester of 20 students per section.  I did this for the classes

• Geog 210: Vancouver and its Region (Graeme Wynn), and

• Geog 122: Geography, Modernity and Globalization, (David Ley; Trevor Barnes)

each of which I led twice.  In 2011 I served as a marker for the course

• Geog 352: Urbanization in the Global South (Charles Greenberg).

In 2006 I was named the best TA in the Geography Department.  In 2007 I was named one of the three best TAs in the entire Faculty of Arts.

When I was nominated for these awards students mentioned how dynamic and fun my classes were.  I am a strong facilitator (from many years of facilitating political organizing meetings) and use a variety of exercises to get everyone talking – and drawing and moving and laughing!  I am also proud to say that a very diverse group of students said that they felt safe and comfortable talking about difficult issues like race in my class.

Creating a class space that is welcoming, safe and challenging, where we all offer each other respect and dignity, is very important to me.  I emphasize at the beginning of the semester that we all create our class dynamic together and as issues arise throughout the semester I come back to the question of what kind of space we have and how we support each other. I emphasize that the classroom is not a bubble outside of a world with ingrained racist and sexist patterns, and that we will not be able to change these overnight with goodwill, but that we can be more aware of these patterns and work together to shift them.  I regularly emphasize the key values of respect and open dialogue.  I encourage students to both take risks that might step on toes, and to speak out when they feel stepped on.   I have been heartened that both have happened in my classes.

I have made a particular point of speaking individually and providing additional support to students who are likely to feel marginalized in the university, whether that be because they are African, First Nations, an older student, etc..  I have been heartened that several of these students have maintained contact with me for years and it has been a joy to provide continued mentoring to them.

Even with large classes I make a point of knowing all of my students, and use student information sheets to keep track of their interests and progress.  I come early to class and stay late to have informal chats with my students about class, but also school and life in general. In class I go over things as basic as reading strategies, note taking, and writing skills – as well as life skills like working in groups and pairs and technical skills like using citation management software. I help students navigate the practicalities of the system (all the more important for marginalized students who often do not know the unwritten rules), while challenging them to see both school and society critically.