Faculty interest group: Contemplative pedagogies

Contemplative pedagogies, which go against the status quo and open us up, often invoke feelings of vulnerability among both educators and their students. This workshop draws from Erinn Gilson’s The Ethics of Vulnerability (2014) to explore this as a state of potential, rather than guaranteed harm. Throughout the ‘lecture’ portion of the presentation, you will be invited to add to a co-created concept map via Padlet. These contributions will be reviewed and discussed; we will identify links between ideas and come away with a deeper understanding of how vulnerability shapes the way we teach contemplatively.

By the end of the session, you will be able to:

• Describe vulnerability in ways that go beyond the typical Western understanding that it is a state of weakness that is to be avoided at all costs
• Name and express how in/vulnerability feels within yourself
• Describe how embracing our vulnerability connects us to different parts of ourselves, to each other, and to the environment
• Identify where the pursuit of invulnerability exists within your teaching practice (in yourself, in the content/material, in the assessments, etc.)
• Engage in discussions about vulnerability with peers

About the Faculty interest group on Contemplative pedagogy

This interest group supports faculty and teaching staff in applying or improving their application of contemplative practices in their classroom to promote well-being and a compassionate classroom, to further course goals, and to support learning.  

This interest group is for faculty and teaching staff who wish to: 

• Intentionally adopt culturally-appropriate contemplative practices in teaching and learning using a trauma-sensitive lens;  
• Explore the work of contemplative pedagogy scholars who report on the impact of evidence-based contemplative practices on students and faculty; 
• Learn from their peers; and 
• Re-energize their relationship with teaching and learning 

Audience: Faculty, teaching staff, and graduate students with teaching roles.

Note: By registering for this session, you will be added to all upcoming faculty interest group sessions. You will receive Outlook invitations for each meeting, which you may choose to accept or decline based on your interest or availability.