From Left to Right: Iyad, Yotaro, Gabriel, Nina, Evelien, Bo, Fotis, and Johannes
Last week, I had the chance to tutor a few groups for our Global Studies Bachelor’s program. I’ve been involved with the program in an assortment of different ways, (from design course content, giving a few recorded lectures, and also serving on the Advisory Board for the program), but this was the first time that I got to sit in a classroom with the students themselves, and boy was I not disappointed.
This week, the students were tasked with preparing their own lesson plan, where they were to teach each other a global citizenship skill of their choosing. The group photographed above discussed the topic of cultural differences and issues of identity in an engaging, thought-provoking manner and I can say that some of the discussions that we had as a class really made me re-think and reflect on a variety of issues.
The “teachers” shared some of their stories and opened up avenues for having authentic discussions, which incentivized other students to share about experiences where cultural differences manifested in less than desirable ways, but also in ways that enabled and empowered them. All in all, I left the classroom feeling inspired and wanting to spend more time with these wonderful Global Studies students. While the program has its various flaws and peccadillos, the kids are quite alright (and apparently, the Global Studies Program isn’t too shabby either)!