Scene to read · Equity, Communication
Not in class, please
You are a teaching assistant who co-leads a university discussion section and are asked to help settle a disagreement.
After the evening discussion section, you stay in the seminar room with Damini, your fellow teaching assistant, and Darius, an adult student in your section. Damini assigned a novel about war and displacement in the region where Darius grew up. He has asked you both to drop the book or excuse him from next week's graded discussion.
The scene
Darius: I lived through this. Please, I can't discuss it in class.
Damini: I understand. But the book's second half is what the unit rests on.
Darius: Then let me skip. I don't want my life as everyone's example.
Damini: If you skip, others will ask too, and grading gets unfair.
The two questions
- 1What would you say to Darius and Damini, and why?
- 2Describe a time you had to balance one person's needs against an expectation that applied to a whole group. What did you do, and what did you learn?
What raters look for
- Equity
- Notices unequal access or treatment and acts fairly, especially for people with less power.
- Communication
- Listens first, speaks clearly and respectfully, and adapts the message to the listener.
Answer scenarios like this on the real timers
Answer both questions on the clock, and get each one scored 1–9 the way raters score. Your first set is free, no card.
Practice free
