Kate Darby (Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University) incorporates complex and potentially contentious conversations in her classes in order to encourage a deeper understanding of issues, including race, class, gender, and identity, in the field of environmental studies.

Kate Darby (Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University) asks students to reflect upon their perspectives about what is an environmentalist and what is environmentalism, and then, how did they come to these perspectives, exploring environmental ethics, knowledge versus beliefs, and social norms.

Kate Darby (Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University) describes how she models an authentic process for examining ideas, especially “wicked problems”--those that are messy, complex, and socioeconomic-systems problems–using humility, curiosity, and multidisciplinary research perspectives.

Kate Darby (Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University) shares her ideas for cultivating connections between students and the community, including running a 1-credit reading group class, implementing strategies for connecting students in and out of the classroom, and recognizing the need for students to share grief and other feelings about the environment.

Kate Darby (Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University) summarizes some key advice for teaching about difficult subjects including teaching with humility, having a structure for guiding decisions, and learning how to share discomfort as an entry point for conversations.