Teacher Training

An introduction to postcolonial thinking that focuses on the pervasiveness of colonial discourse up to our days. We work with images and short text passages to explore a critical postcolonial reading of representations that are sometimes so entrenched in our collective imaginary, that they may have escaped our notice. The aim is to sharpen the participants' postcolonial gaze, so that you may then apply it in the classroom yourselves. The workshop should last at least 2 hours (with a short break in between).

At least since the murder of George Floyd in the USA, the debate about racism in everyday society has flared up, also in Switzerland. This workshop approaches racism precisely as an everyday practice that many of us, citizens of European countries, have in fact internalized. We look at the history of racism, in order to discuss its continuity up to our days. Finally, we explore strategies of teaching anti-racism in the classroom, using literature, film and other popular culture products. The workshop should last at least 3 hours (with a short break in between).

Using a variety of case studies such as novels, poetry, film and music, this workshop introduces participants to key concerns of postcolonial literatures and explores ways of framing discussions in the classroom. The workshop should last at least 2 hours (with a short break in between). A longer time frame would obviously allow for more detailed discussions and explorations of the chosen materials.

This workshop focuses on the importance of orality and bodily performance in contemporary poetry that is not meant to be read, but experienced live or through visual media. We work with a variety of spoken word texts from different postcolonial contexts as well as with British-Jamaican dub poetry. The aim is to introduce teachers to the vast potential of orality-based poetic materials in the classroom. The workshop should last at least 3 hours (with a short break in between).

Rap is an incredibly rich source of materials for classroom teaching, with the advantage that many students are already listening to it on a daily basis. This workshop introduces participants to the main features of rap and how it can be used productively in the classroom -- including how to deal with more problematic aspects of rap, such as offensive language and questionable attitudes. There is also the possibility of advancing a postcolonial perspective in discussions of rap, and we can focus on that as well, if participants are particularly interested in postcolonial approaches. The workshop should last at least 3 hours (with a short break in between).