I would like to begin this reflection by drawing on a resource not listed in the official course materials but one that has deeply informed and contextualised my teaching practice as an educator at Central Saint Martins. Colouring Critique, a research project initiated by UAL Fashion alumna Huguette Tchapi, offers a compelling and necessary exploration of […]
Monika Gravagno
PgCert Academic Practice
Introduction: As a non-native English speaker and migrant educator in the UK, I reflect frequently on my education and experiences as a student, using these reflections to shape my work as an educator. When I first arrived in UK, speaking little English, I enrolled in a Physical Theatre Course. Despite the language barrier, the course […]
Reading Ramadan’s (2022) study on Muslim women academics in Western higher education was a moment of deep reflection for me. I was struck by how powerfully Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality plays out in these women’s lives — not just in terms of gender and race, but in how their faith identity is experienced and […]
As a non-native English speaker and migrant, I relate to the linguistic and cultural challenges international students face. However, my European background—being Italian—has offered a degree of cultural proximity to British culture that many of my students, particularly Mandarin speakers, do not share. Their experience is often far more isolating. In my teaching of Climate […]
My reflection spans from my role within UAL and my teaching context as a curriculum developer for climate, racial and social justice. Much of my work involves teaching intersectionality frameworks to art and design students, often through practical examples that connect theory to real-world design interventions. In this blog, I focus specifically on the intersection […]
The Privilege Walk exercise, created by Peggy McIntosh’s (1988), is a powerful tool for raising awareness of systemic advantages and disadvantages. Participants respond to prompts by stepping forward or backward, depending on their lived experiences. For example, a participant may step forward if they “never had to worry about crime, drugs, or violence in their […]
Leah Thomas’s The Intersectional Environmentalist (2022) highlights how environmental issues disproportionately affect marginalised communities, linking social justice with sustainability. She critiques mainstream environmentalism for sidelining voices from racialised and underprivileged groups, advocating instead for an inclusive approach that recognises intersecting systems of oppression. The book serves as both a call to action and a practical guide for […]
Planning session with climate advocates Size of student group: 6 pp Observer: Victor Guillen Observee: Monika Gravagno Note: This record is solely for exchanging developmental feedback between colleagues. Its reflective aspect informs PgCert and Fellowship assessment, but it is not an official evaluation of teaching and is not intended for other internal or legal applications such as […]
Contextual Background As a Curriculum Developer, I observed the Creative Union unit at CSM, an undergraduate collaborative and interdisciplinary unit. A key challenge in this 20-credit unit is the heavy assessment load, which includes both product and process assessments (Anon, n.d). Additionally, the emphasis of assessment on the final project often overshadows the assessment of students’ collaboration skills, such as ethics, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Evaluation Assessment […]
Contextual background Within my role as Climate Advocate Coordinator, a key challenge in teaching at CSM is the lack of dedicated teaching space. Sessions are often held in small, windowless rooms or PODs designed for groups of up to 10. These confined spaces limit interactive and movement-based teaching methods, often forcing a shift toward a […]