Teach Real

The demographic make-up of the students in higher education is changing. In an effort to keep up with this shift, higher education needs more non-white faculty in classrooms, administrative, and staff positions to present a viable target for incoming students. As more demographically diverse students enter into the classroom, faculty must also shift their pedagogical choices to a more relational environment to meet the needs of this new student body. The purpose of this chapter is to explicate the ways in which being “real” and authentic with students is a pedagogical choice that fosters an environment that leads to better learning for students. Faculty need to better understand the ways in which pedagogical development intersects with the salient parts of their own identities. This chapter also develops arguments for future directions in the ways faculty teach so they may connect these versions of themselves to better serve students through authentic human connection.