Pronouns, privilege, blind spots, and stickers

Letters from a reflexive lecturer: addressing mistakes and creating inclusion in the classroom

Dr Kate Goldie Townsend is a lecturer specialising in applied normative Political Philosophy, particularly concerning the body and children’s rights. With this collection of blog entries, Kate reflects on challenges she’s faced as a lecturer and what she’s learned in the process.

Making mistakes

Inevitably, sometimes we make mistakes as educators. We might accidentally write on a wipe clean board with a permanent marker, we might forget the title of that important book that a big name in the field wrote, we might forget our students’ names. Most mistakes are minor, some less so, and some reveal uncomfortable truths about ourselves. All are learning opportunities.

This is a story about one such mistake which I made in the very first session of the very first year, of the first module I’d designed myself: The Politics of the Body (POL2124). A key aim of the module is to confront students with their own biases and blind spots about bodily practices and norms. We examine core concepts including culture and autonomy and use them to interrogate legislation and rhetoric concerning oftentimes controversial bodily practices.

Aiming for inclusion

I aim to create a safe and inclusive environment in which all students feel comfortable and able to discuss the issues we’re handling – this is a basic principle that all teachers should maintain, but is especially important when discussing controversial practices that students may have strong views on, such as abortion, genital cutting and modification practices, and gender based violence.

In the first few minutes of the first seminar, I greeted students as they came into the room. I remembered some students and to be friendly and welcoming, I said the names I remembered. I referred to some people using the pronouns I had known them to have. I proceeded to use the names and pronouns I remembered, until the first break.

Missing the mark

During the break, a student approached me to say that since I last saw them, they had come out as non-binary and changed their name. I had addressed them using their previous, gendered name, and referred to them using a gendered pronoun. The situation struck a particularly sharp cord because the module is built around my commitment to EDI, and an aim of the module is to challenge dominant social norms about bodies.

I immediately apologised for the mistake. The student was very understanding but mentioned that they thought I’d have known because their name appeared differently on their email signature – a detail I should have spotted, but hadn’t.

Reflection

This presented me with the challenge of how to respond to an issue that arose during teaching by acknowledging the problem and putting a solution into practice. It was especially challenging because in this instance, the problem was my own assumptions about other people and their identities.

Even when actively trying to be inclusive and friendly, educators’ blind spots can make students and colleagues uncomfortable. My blind-spot was the expectation that the students I knew would have the same gender identity and name from year to year / month to month. Given the fact that many people, including young adults, are coming out as trans or non-binary (TNB),[1] it is surprising that it had not occurred to me not to make assumptions about gender identities. The increase in TNB students has been met with an increase in hostility towards them,[2] meaning it is especially important to create learning environments that are properly TNB inclusive.

For future classes

So what did I do in response? Reflecting on the situation, I have implemented some small changes to practice that have helped mitigate against this happening in the future:

• I bring self-filling name tags to classes, wearing one myself and inviting students to share too – but without pressure, as some may not want to.
• I don’t name students or use gender identifiers, to avoid misgendering or deadnaming[3] until I know students’ preferences.
• I invite students to approach me if I use language to describe or address them that is not acceptable to them. This is important for ensuring that the learning environment is respectful and collaborative, and that students feel recognised as equals within the learning space.[4]
• I refer to people using neutral terms until I know their preferred pronouns.

As educators, we can’t predict our blind spots, but we can embrace active reflection and make changes in response. I hope this post will encourage you to consider areas you might have overlooked, and to engage in some reflection to develop your practice.

[1] Smith, J., Robinson, S., & Khan, R. (2022). Transgender and non-binary students’ experiences at UK universities: A rapid evidence assessment. Equity in Education & Society, 1(1), 18-31 (pp. 18-19)  https://doi.org/10.1177/27526461211068518

[2] Smith, Robinson, and Khan, 2022, p. 19

[3] Smith, Robinson, and Khan, 2022, p. 26

[4] Smith, Robinson, and Khan, 2022, pp. 24-27

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