Growth in Discomfort

It’s impossible to go through life without being uncomfortable at some points. For such an inevitable feeling, we sure do go to great lengths to avoid it. We dodge potentially contentious topics, avoid crucial conversations, ignore clear examples of misogyny, racism, homophobia, etc. all so that we can remain comfortable albeit maybe a tad guilty.

Discomfort plays a role in education in the way that teachers and students are sometimes put in uncomfortable situations. Discomfort plays a role in learning in the way that it often presents an opportunity for growth. That is how I see myself embracing discomfort as an educator, by approaching it with curiosity. I do often find it challenging to navigate discomfort in the moment, though I find no matter what happens I learn how to be better next time.

I’ve been dating someone who has cerebral palsy and have come to see some of the ways in which we are uncomfortable with physical disability, in others but also in myself. For example, I had a hard time understanding the way my boyfriend spoke when I first met him. It was uncomfortable to admit to him that I didn’t always catch everything he said, but he assured me it would get easier and he had no problem repeating himself. This is a minor example of embracing discomfort but I learned a lot from it and continue to learn a lot from him.

Even this small example makes me think about how to approach discomfort in the classroom. There’s no way to say “this is how I will handle it” because there are so many variables and you really just have to navigate those situations in the moment using your values to guide you. One thing I could do to prepare is consider what I’ve learned from past experiences and what I would want to prioritize like authenticity, communication, and accountability.

Last week I attended an Inclusive Pedagogy workshop through CSU’s Diversity Symposium. The session mostly went over microaggressions in the classroom and how to create an inclusive learning environment. We went into breakout rooms, and I talked to a grad student who was doing his practicum. He told me he teaches high school science and has some Trump supporter students who bring up politics in class which made him uncomfortable. He hadn’t been at the school very long so he’s still figuring out how to navigate it. We also talked about having committed microaggressions ourselves and how to learn from mistakes. Ultimately what I took away from it is that I have some uncomfortable times ahead, and I look forward to learning from them.