Can women
actually teach students? The answer of course, is yes, but due to our
patriarchal society, it is much harder for women to teach students than it is
for men.
Recently, I was
awarded a teaching fellowship from my university to teach master’s level
counseling psychology students throughout the academic year. When awarded this
highly sought after and competitive fellowship, I prided myself on my abilities
to educate and foster an environment where students could learn and grow as
clinicians. However, upon finishing my first semester of teaching, I was
surprised at how much my identity as a woman influenced my teaching experience.
As I began my
first semester of teaching, I was paired with a male faculty member to co-teach
a Research Methods course. While most students in my PsyD program shudder when
they think about SPSS, I became excited! I love analyzing data both
qualitatively and quantitatively. In addition, I had a great relationship with
my co-instructor as he has served as committee member for my dissertation and a
great mentor. Prior to the course, I made sure to brush up on my research
knowledge and make sure I felt confident and competent. On the first day of
class, I gave the first presentation, which went great, and I felt like the
students were excited to dig into research!
Things started
off going really well. However, as the weeks went on, I noticed that students
were asking me questions much more often than they were my co-instructor. I
initially believed that it was because I was taking the time to make sure the
students really understood the material. But I soon noticed that even after I
answered a question, there would be a very specific follow-up question that
felt almost attacking. I began to feel incompetent and insecure in my teaching
abilities. During our weekly meeting, I brought up my concerns to my
co-instructor. He explained that students are trying to fit the information
into their own world of understanding, so questions might feel challenging in their
nature. I felt a little relieved, but during the next couple classes, I noticed
that many of the students were acting oppositional and defiant during my
portion of the class: they were not participating during in-class activities
and would make sarcastic remarks while I was lecturing. I decided to blame it
on the busyness of the semester and students feeling “crispy”.
A few weeks
later, I went to a presentation on developing classroom dynamics. One of the
most salient parts of this presentation was the aspect of power. The presenter,
a feminist, spoke about French and Raven’s (1959) Five Forms of Power. The five
forms include: legitimate power, referent power, expert power, reward power,
and coercive power. After her explanation of these types of powers, the
conversation quickly shaped into a discussion of how our aspects of identity
interact with these forms of power to enhance or detract from the amount of
power we use. She explained that gender
is something that strongly interacts with power when teaching. She noted that
men are less likely to be challenged and are given the benefit of the doubt
when teaching. Women, however, are more likely to be challenged, questioned,
and doubted. As she was saying this, I was immediately hit with a wave of
disappointment. I finally had some power as a teacher (that I was planning to
use for good, of course) but it felt like it was slowly being chipped away.
After learning
this information, I decided to explore my newfound knowledge. I asked women
faculty members what their experiences of being a woman-teacher were like. Many
referred to examples of opposition and being challenged (mostly by male
students) in the classroom. Some shared
that they used tactics, related to male stereotypes, to avoid these behaviors.
For instance, some instructors were less warm to students and more assertive/directive,
taking on the “bitch” role. One instructor laughed as she shared that she will
wear high heels to appear taller (taking on a male trait). After hearing some
of these behaviors, I was disheartened to learn that my pure and sweet view of
teaching was quickly becoming soiled.
As I think
about ways to avoid my power being stripped away for being a woman, I truly
feel helpless. My first thoughts were to take on the “bitch” role, be less
understanding and more demanding, and wear higher heels (maybe not). However,
these aspects do not feel genuine to me. What does feel genuine is educating
students about our patriarchal society and advocating for women. While I cannot
continuously preach to my students about marginalized and oppressed
populations, I can use my power of coercion, such as giving them bad grades, to
make them understand. Just kidding! I
can use my passion for educating to teach students about the negative aspects
of living in a patriarchal society in a useful and meaningful way.
Written by Keely Hirsch
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