The presentations by our speakers and the comments by class members led me to realize the need to incorporate the following into my classes.  First, is material on what I think of as neglected areas in my classes in Cognition.  I always think about passing on information about topics like memory, anxiety and perception, etc but What about topics like the effect of microagressions on brain function and how it alters perception, or it being a risk factor for diseases like depression and Alzheimer’s disease.  I want to incorporate topics that are of more importance to the diverse background of the individuals in the class.  Of course, in hindsight it makes perfect sense.  It also forced me to think about why I never connected the dots and to think about my own biases in this area.

Another area that came to mind is a bit off track with regard to our focus.  It is the idea of how do I, as a professor in a classroom, work with students who will ultimately fail the class.  The student might stay in the class because their financial aid is dependent on it, or they refuse to drop the class because they feel that within their family structure it would be too embarrassing.  It made me think of my responsibility to work with the student I give a failing grade to.  I have a responsibility to counsel the student and work with them in the same way that I would work with students who are passing the course.  I have found that in cases where I have had the opportunity to talk to the student, and work with them more closely  the outcome was usually more positive.  In these situations the class does not  become the seminal turning point where the student decides that they are not able to do this type of work.  Instead it hopefully becomes an experience that helps the student prepare for what they need to do next to be successful.