Barclay Barrios | Belonging Is the Work: What Inclusive Teaching Really Looks Like

Barclay Barrios

Barclay Barrios doesn’t treat belonging as a bonus outcome of good pedagogy—he treats it as the central goal. In a higher education landscape shaped by retention metrics and access initiatives, he argues that students are often expected to adapt to spaces that were never built for them. When that happens, students may be present but disengaged, included but invisible. Barrios believes that true inclusion starts with design—not accommodation.

He structures his classrooms around collaborative learning, flexible assignments, and low-barrier entry points for reflection. These choices are not about lowering standards; they’re about shifting assumptions. Students who code-switch, navigate unfamiliar academic language, or carry the burden of representation need more than good intentions from their instructors. They need structures that understand what it costs to “show up” and support systems that make it easier to stay.

Barrios also advocates for intentionally rethinking classroom authority. In his courses, peer feedback is more than a revision tool—it’s a relational practice that helps students see themselves as co-learners. He avoids grading models that overvalue control and instead centers process, dialogue, and growth. For students who have long been asked to defer, this redistribution of voice signals something powerful: you belong here, and your thinking matters.

Outside the classroom, Barrios ties belonging to institutional conditions. That includes equitable advising, mentorship access, and leadership that reflects the student body. He argues that diversity without power-sharing is cosmetic, and that retention means little without joy, confidence, and connection. If belonging is truly the goal, it can’t be delegated to faculty alone—it must be a collective, structural commitment.

Barrios is clear: survival is not enough. Students deserve spaces where they can take intellectual risks, feel seen, and build relationships that last. That kind of learning environment doesn’t just support success—it redefines it.