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Teach-Out Final Project — Theory in Practice: Final Reflection

Vanessa Ruggieri
Dr. Lesley Bogad
FNED 502
June 19, 2019
For my final project, I created a video and handout to share with my Admissions Office Staff and Student Workers. The topic that I chose was The Importance of Safe Spaces on College Campuses for Both Students and Faculty/Staff in addition to how to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Queer issues are important to me as a young queer professional working in Undergraduate Admissions. I chose to teach about this issue to raise awareness and promote diversity within the office, and eventually campus-wide.
After showing the video I made to some of my student staff and peer staff, I received some of the following comments:
  • “ I learned the meaning of “queer” and appreciated delving deeper into these issues.”
  • Many of the students told me stories of their friend and peers coming out to thier families or afraid to come out due to Religious bias being discriminated against.
  • “I thought there were only three kinds of pronouns [her, him, and them] and didn't not know zir or the other lesser known pronouns.”
  • “I am happy and sort of proud that I have something to identify myself as, I am proud to say I am cisgender, but also the privilege that gives me as a straight, cisgender woman, but also the judgment I face as a black woman.”
  • “We have a lot of different people on campus and we shouldn’t assume anything just be looking at them...I want everyone who comes into the office to feel comfortable.”
  • Some students knew a lot of the terms from the media, such as television shows. One student mentioned the different family dynamic in The Fosters with two lesbian women raising a family.
  • I was able to educate all of my students on Title IX, and it’s importance, and I was shocked that none of the students know what Title IX was, or that we have an office on campus!
  • One of my staff members gave some insightful feedback, saying, “I agree that gender is fluid and it is important to recognize that our gender, sexuality, and identity all intersect to make us all who we are.”
When I began this project, I gave myself the following Teaching Objectives:
  • How to identify and confront heterosexism and homophobia
  • LGBTQ resources
  • LGBTQ-related terms
  • How to be an effective ally to LGBTQ community members
Through both the video, handout, and discussions that I had with my students and staff, I know that we, as a whole, have met all of these objectives, and I am excited to give this training to other students and staff and eventually at conferences and campus-wide.
This project is inspired by "Safe Spaces" - Vaccaro, August, Kennedy (2012) and “Privilege, Power, and Difference,” by Allan G. Johnson and "Safe Spaces" by Vaccaro, August, Kennedy. In the first text, Vaccaro, August, and Kennedy argue that educators can create safe spaces for their students, through communication and curriculum. I can relate the conversation I had with my students and staff, especially when we were discussing intersectionality and privilege.  In order to successfully present these tools, we need to start conversations about diverse experiences and accepting the experiences of others that are in the minority in terms of gender, sexual orientation, and identity. In order to create change, we need to begin to acknowledge differences among each other in a positive way. Starting these conversations is the beginning of a solution to create and increase visibility for queer folks and, in turn, create safer spaces in our school systems is getting LGBTQ+ folks included in the curriculum. To further elaborate, in Privilege, Power, and Difference, Allan G. Johnson argues that we cannot even begin to eliminate privilege without first seeing that we have privilege. In order for us to change, we need to acknowledge the privilege and see how that allows us to treat others differently. For example, many of my students and staff members will be waited on faster and, usually, nicer than my staff members of color. Prejudice and discrimination is not only an issue of race, but also sexual orientation, gender, and many other characteristics. Johnson closes by saying that although racism and discrimination are rooted in precedence, it is up to us to change it for future generations. Through this exercise I did with my fellow staff members and students, I truly believe that we are creating change on campus, or at least in our office.


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