Reclaiming Authority in the FYC Classroom as a Graduate Teaching Assistant: Using Feminist Pedagogies to Empower

Conclusion

As new instructors, we want ways to feel confident in the classroom that do not belittle students or ask us to misrepresent ourselves. Feminist pedagogies of authority and embodiment lend toward a mutually empowering relationship for students and teachers by counteracting the idea that women and women of color are the “Inappropriate Other” in a classroom. Feminist pedagogies can help GTAs and new instructors craft an equitable ethos by authenticating and validating our roles as positive extensions of our expertise, experiences, identities, and embodiment. And when we as instructors feel comfortable sharing information about themselves, it can model to students that their identities are also valuable and credible. Embracing our credibility lends to feeling safe, respected, and validated, knowing that our whole selves belong and deserve to be in the classroom.