Even in classes that discuss inequality and seek to center antiracism, the struggles outside our front door seem distant to some students, while others feel frustrated with pedagogy that feels disconnected from their lived experience. Grounded pedagogy seeks to provide local context to wider struggles and bridge the gap between students with disparate experiences. Grounded pedagogy involves three components: it is located in the university’s built environment, it is supported with data, and it links past and present.

You can use grounded pedagogy in the context of a law clinic that serves children charged in Family Court in Columbia, though it could be applied in any course that engages with issues of inequality and seeks to broaden students’ understanding of social justice. Grounded pedagogy guides students to understand the social context of the Columbia community without pathologizing it, which often occurs when students seek to understand clients and their cultures untethered from specificity and historical perspectives.

This context is particularly important for students who resist notions of systemic racism or oppression and in political environments that currently want to curtail discussion of those issues. In this presentation, the facilitator will draw on their experiences as a clinical law professor to demonstrate how a richer understanding of the local context of clients served can help students think beyond silos and better understand wider struggles from justice.

This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Teaching Towards Inclusive Excellence.

In order for attendees to personally track their current registrations and attendance at certificate of completion workshops and events, the Center for Teaching Excellence requires that all registrants create an account in our registration system and login to register for all workshops.

If you have an existing training account with the Division of Human Resources, Office of Organizational and Professional Development, you do not need to create an account. You can login using your HR training username and password. By logging in to register for CTE events, your complete training record for both CTE and HR trainings will be available with a single account and login.