At the start of a semester, during the course introduction, I explain my commitment to inclusion in the context of each course. The following is a general example of this statement: 

• This school, including us in this course, is a diverse community, represented by different geographies, nationalities, traditions, sexualities, races, and cultures. Sadly, education, including classrooms and campuses, has often been a vehicle for judgement and exclusion towards minority groups. This was true in the past and continues in various forms today. Therefore, as we gather in this course, I want to name this reality around us so that we aren’t naïve to the challenges of inclusion, while also being explicit in the invitation for all to participate. You are welcome here wherever you are coming from. In particular, if you represent a group that has been marginalized in educational spaces in the past or in the present – i.e. if you are Indigenous, or you a person of colour, or you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, hear this: you are welcome in this class. As we learn together in this course, I am committed to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment, and expect all of us to commit to this hospitality and care together.

I'm committed to inclusive practices in my presence a teacher, specifically in the following ways: 

• Availability: Connected to my commitment to inclusion, I introduce a course with the invitation for further conversation for interested students, and repeat this invitation any time course content connects to students lives and experiences in personal ways. 

• Caring posture: I'm aware that integrated learning can be deeply personal as students connect academics with life experience. By assessing student well-being through observation of the classroom, body language, written work, and other points of contact, I'm intentional to adjust my posture appropriately. I'm committed to holding space for various ways a student experiences a course. 

• Positionality: I recognize, however, that my identity (i.e. white, cisgender, male) and role (i.e. teacher) can itself be a barrier to engagement for some students. Where appropriate, then, I comment on my positionality in relation to course content and activities as a way to model transparency and invite diverse perspectives. For example, when I address areas of Indigenous ways of being and knowing, I include the recognition that as a land-owning settler-Christian in the Fraser Valley,  my voice can represent harm and distrust, leading me to take a posture of listening to Indigenous teachers instead of assuming authority myself. 

Whether online or in person, I intentionally organize a learning environment that invites all students to participate. Organizing for an inclusive learning environment involves the following: 

• Expectations: in addition to my own statement of inclusion, I always open a course with conversation about shared aims of participation and inclusion that is oriented around respect and openness.  

• Variety of ways to engage: Whether through a range discussion formats (e.g. pairs, small groups, breakout rooms) or creating options for student engagement that address barriers to participation (e.g. some students will engage more on an online forum than in-person discussion), establishing different ways for students to engage creates more opportunity for everyone to participate.

• Care for minority students: I’m conscious not to overburden minority students (i.e. BIPOC, LGBTQ+), particularly when engaging social justice topics that may relate to their lived experience. While naming their reality can invite participation, expecting minority students to represent a particular topic or issue can further burden them. For example, in my teaching on Indigenous knowledge and practice I have had personal conversations with Indigenous students before and after classes, inviting their feedback and choice for how to participate in a healthy way. 

• Tone: Inclusive practice also involves attending to the tone of a classroom. Sometimes the tone of a class discussion or the body language and attitude of students creates an unwelcoming space for others. In these instances, both in person and online, I will call out problematic behavior, check in on the affected students, and follow up with appropriate reminders of our shared commitment to an inclusive learning environment. I have experience dealing with these situations both in the moment and after the fact with students one-on-one.

I hold to the adage "The medium is the message" (M. McLuhan) as a reason to address inclusion in the design of a course not just as a curriculum topic. This structuring for inclusion involves a few specific areas of focus: 

• Assignments and activities: I develop assignments and lectures with an inclusive environment in mind. For example, in assigning group work I am careful to assess the group dynamics to foster a safe and inclusive group experience as opposed to just randomly assigning groups. 

• Flexibility: While I organize a course with a general shared framework for expectations, content, and schedule, I’m flexible to adapt this structure to individual students as needs arise. This isn’t a license for students to bypass course requirements but is my recognition that traditional formats for assessment and coursework can be a hinderance to the success of some students. 

• Representation and decolonization: I’m committed to representation of minority perspectives in my teaching, such as listening to Indigenous voices and other underrepresented groups through guest speakers and other course resources. I recognize, however, that representation without decolonization risks tokenizing diverse perspectives instead of including them. Therefore, I also experiment with decolonized forms of assignment structure and assessment that prioritize relational and contextualized learning.