Dine and Brett are tenured associate professors in the College of Pharmacy. Together, they are co-instructing a large lecture for first-year graduate students. They have been colleagues for many years, appreciate each other as colleagues and have collaborated as co-instructors many times. Dine identifies as a trans-woman and Brett identifies as a cis man.
Halfway through the term, a group of women students approach Dine and share their concerns about an apparent gender dynamic between the two faculty. The students cite Brett’s propensity to dominate conversation by smothering Dine’s contributions with his own thoughts and examples. They also reflect to Dine that Brett often interrupts her, tends to speak first and last about the issue at hand and uses non-verbal behavior while Dine speaks that is undermining her authority.
In hearing the students’ feedback, Dine feels self-conscious and anxious. While she appreciates her students’ feedback, she feels obligated to tell Brett, and is uncertain how to do so. Dine consults with a trusted colleague about the issue and seeks advice on how to broach the topic with Brett. They agree Brett would respond best to direct and honest feedback. Dine shares what the students told her, and also affirms that she feels that way too. She shares that she appreciates Brett as an educator, but that she feels pushed to the background in the classroom by his eagerness to contribute.
Brett sits with Dine’s feedback, having his own feelings of self-consciousness and anxiousness. Brett offers to engage in some self-reflection and skill-building and participates in the Center for Teaching and Learning’s coaching and classroom observation programs. Going forward, Brett employs new facilitation and participation strategies which help monitor his contributions and also affirm and amplify Dine’s contributions.
- The Issue: A group of women students reveal a gender dynamic with Dine and Brett related to their co-teaching relationship, in which Brett is dominating airtime and undermining Dine’s contributions and credibility. Dine is anxious about broaching the conversation with Brett and unsure what to do or say.
- The Deliberation: Dine consults with a colleague about difficult conversations. After speaking to Brett, he internalizes the feedback and resolves to learn and develop by taking advantage of institutional resources.
- The Growth: Dine finds a way to initiate difficult conversations with Brett, and Brett grows in his self-awareness and invests in activities to transform his relationship with Dine and his educational practice.