Relationally Present and Virtually Remote
摘要
This chapter critically reflects on the following question in the context of post-secondary education: What does it mean to be anti-discriminatory in a remote teaching and learning context across different sectors and for various practitioners? In the pivot to remote education due to COVID-19, I began exploring how a pedagogy of care could foster relational presence and inclusion in remote teaching. The literature indicates that students feel cared for in classrooms where instructors demonstrate attentiveness, empathy, and responsiveness. However, there is a dearth of literature about care within online environments, and existing studies primarily focus on students’ perceptions of care. Moreover, a key critique of the pedagogy of care is that this framework is a white construct, which has historically excluded the voices of racialized scholars. In response, I argue that a critical pedagogy of care must be grounded by an analysis of how systemic forms of power, privilege, and oppression operate within colonial classrooms. I challenge that as educators we must interrogate our positionalities and explore how our intersectional identities shape the ways we give, receive, and perform care in the classroom. I discuss the process of relationally, emotionally, and care-fully connecting with students within virtual spaces. I then explore how my teaching practices have shifted since the beginning of the pandemic and present a conceptual framework for anti-discriminatory education, which is care-based, collaborative, and embodied. I illustrate this framework with a case study and provide strategies for how instructors can apply inclusive care within their respective courses and programs.