Posted by sunflower577 on October 27, 2009, 8:14 am
Some of you may remember from some of my past posts that I was somewhat raked over the coals for 'coming out' in class last year. For those who don't, the long and short of it was that in an attempt to illustrate the difference between visible stigma v. invisible stigma, I told my students about my experience on the job market and having to make the decision about whether or not to discuss my gf at the interview dinner (a common part of academic job interviews). One of my former students, in a not-so-anonymous end-of-the semester evaluation said that the class discussion made her so uncomfortable that she would have left except it would have been rude. The review itself was both hurtful and troubling. More troubling were the extended conversations that I had to have first with the academic dean and the dean (someone I have known for 10+ years), explaining what happened and defending my actions and asserting that I had not done anything inappropriate. That I had simply used an experience to help define something they were learning about. I thought for certain after all the conversations that this would be last semester teaching there. And have been pretty upset about it because a) I really love teaching and b) I really like the program I teach in.
Well - not only am I teaching next semester... I am teaching THREE classes... more than a full-time course load! I am a little concerned because it is going to make it a VERY intense semester... but, also very relieved. I still sucks that this student's evaluation is a part of my permanent record, so to speak... but am glad it did not have a lasting impact on my ability to teach in this program.
Now, I just hope for the student's sake - and my sake - that she does not enroll in one of my classes next semester.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread