When you teach, it is with specific preconceptions about the people you are addressing, the students. For example, you might have assumptions about whether students can read and understand texts in a language besides English (or German). You may assume they possess or lack particular skills. You can also consider whether your students have experienced racism, sexism, or other forms of discrimination. Alternatively, you might have prior assumptions about their average age.

However, “you can only make limited assumptions about how various students in your course are situated in regard to privilege and marginalization within various power relations” (Goel 2016: 40).

Your assumptions – conscious or not – inform your teaching concept and the interactions in your course, shaping to some degree whether it goes well. Cultivating greater awareness of these assumptions can help you make the course a success. It can also be critical in ensuring that you do not reinforce certain stereotypes in your course, making your teaching better and more inclusive. Reflecting on your assumptions about your audience in a way that pays attention to gender and diversity can help you better cater to your students’ learning needs and their varying sets of experiences and can help you treat your students fairly and equally.

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Weiteres dazu unter: Methoden
Literatur:

Goel, Urmila. 2016. Die (Un)Möglichkeit der Vermeidung von Diskriminierungen. In Diskriminierungskritische Lehre. Denkanstöße aus den Gender Studies, Hrsg. Geschäftsstelle des Zentrums für transdisziplinäre Geschlechterstudien der Humboldt-Universiät zu Berlin.

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Version April 2017. Unless otherwise stated, this content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International licence.