Amy: I'm mainly in my methods classes—so, like, learning the methods and theories of teaching and preparation for student teaching in the spring. But I'm also in a class about post-colonial literature.  And my ESL internship, which is my last class for my English as a Second Language endorsement. I'm doing the internship all online because they told us if you wanna do it in person, you have to find your own placement [or location for teaching].

Nancy: Do you have ESL students online?

Amy: Well, I'm watching videos [of other people teaching ESL students] which is really difficult, but if it gets me the degree, then I'm gonna do it.

Nancy: So I'm thinking now about teaching and common ground, particularly in light of the comments that were made about how common ground can be alienating to people, right? As someone—whether it's higher ed or K–12—just thinking about educational spaces in general, even the videos you're watching, like, at this moment, what is common ground... where is it in your head?

Amy: Right. Common ground—whether you use that term or not—should be an intentionally shared space.  And I think, especially as educators—or, like, as a future educator—we’re in a really unique spot to make that very intentional, safe place that people might not have in other places. Giving that blank space for people to make their own common ground [through building community] in a classroom is really special. And something I'm constantly thinking about—like, how do I do that? Especially in Wyoming.

Nancy: Are you aware of how you’re contributing to a common-ground-inspired space when you're in student spaces, or do you think that's mainly something you're thinking of from a teaching position?

Amy: I think both. When I first came to the university, I was really scared. There’s a lot going on. And it's Wyoming. I grew up here, and I kind of know what the space is like, so I was really nervous. But everybody's like, “college is different.” And so, as a student, you have to show up and also intentionally make that space. Like, the educator is the container, I think, then the students get to fill it with what they want. As a student, I can intentionally fill that with positivity and the educator is there to support it, I guess.

Nancy: Can you think of a time that you have engaged that actively in a classroom? Can you think of anything in your practice as a student—or, if you want to relate it to teaching—how do we reinforce the contents of the container?

Amy: I think as I’ve progressed in my career, it's easier. And I think it’s that familiarity—once you create those connections with your fellow classmates, it’s a lot easier to be like, “Oh hey, this person said this,” because I know them.  I think about our methods classes—and James... me, James, and the two Joshes—we sit together every day. And we’re always bouncing off each other because we know each other. This is our third year together in classes, and we also know everybody else in the class. So we’ve created that space already. Then I compare it to—like, I work in entry-level English classrooms, where it's these scared people who are afraid to build those connections. So whether or not that’s the educator’s role or the student’s role to build those connections—I think just the act of getting to know your fellow classmates and building that learning community is what creates that common ground space.

Nancy:  You made me think about how—when we’re taught as teachers—you always, like, the first day, you do your icebreaker. But we don’t really come back. We do, like, pair-and-share kinds of things, but we don’t come back to the icebreaking part ever again. And now I’m wondering—particularly in lower-level major classes—if having a few times over the semester where you can just talk to each other about stuff that isn’t so high-pressure as the content might be a way to facilitate that community building.

Amy: That makes me think of the other day in one of my English classes that I’m a helper in. We did a brainstorming activity where I put them in different groups than usual, and the first five minutes, they just talked. But I wasn’t gonna stop them or redirect it, because I was like, “this [talking to each other] is good.” They’re building that writing community that you need to succeed. So I let them go on talking. And I was like, “I know we’re totally off topic, but this is still good learning that’s happening.”

Nancy: I love—it’s like “common ground” is a verb.

Amy: Yeah. I think it comes back to that container. If you set the container in a way that’s inclusive and a safe place, a blank slate almost, then you’re less likely to get to that point of, “Huh, we gotta reel it back in, because this is exclusive and it’s doing more harm than good.” I say that it's easy to set the container that way—but especially in spaces like high school Wyoming or rural Wyoming, it’s a lot more difficult. But I think what we’re learning a lot in our classes is this: you can be crafty with how you get around things.

Nancy: One last thing I’ll ask—and I know this is a little personal. How did your experiences in high school—be as general or specific as you want—shape your relationship to these questions of classroom spaces as containers or as potential for common ground?

Amy: Yeah. So I went to a really small high school. There were 38 people in my graduating class, and everybody knew everybody. You couldn’t hide behind a façade, or behind a group of people. It was like standing in front of all your classmates naked, which can be really scary.

And I think the most impactful moment I can think of in high school was during the 2020 election. I had told someone—who I thought was one of my friends—something, that “Oh yeah, my parents are voting for Biden.” And then she turned around and told the entire senior class. I got bullied about that for weeks. I would go home crying, and I didn’t know what to do. And the teachers didn’t do anything.

So, when I think about my future classroom…I didn’t feel safe in a classroom like that. I don’t want any other student to feel alienated for any choices their family makes, or for what they believe personally. I still think about that. I think, how do I make sure my students never feel that way?

Note: The transcript above has been condensed from its original audio recording to improve the flow and readability of the story.