1Chapter Quote
Chapter Quote
There is no such thing as a neutral educational process.
Before you can challenge patriarchy in your classroom, you must examine how you perpetuate it. This isn’t comfortable work. You will discover biases you didn’t know you had, patterns you’ve reproduced unconsciously, and assumptions you’ve never questioned. This chapter provides frameworks for that examination and for beginning to change your practice.
The work happens on two levels simultaneously: internal reflection on your own conditioning and beliefs, and external changes to how you organize your classroom. Both are necessary. You cannot create liberatory spaces while maintaining patriarchal assumptions. And you cannot sustain changed practices without examining the beliefs that drive your automatic responses.
2The Practice of Self-Examination
Self-examination is not a one-time event. It’s an ongoing practice, like meditation or physical exercise. You develop the habit of noticing — your language, your assumptions, your reactions, your patterns. Over time, this noticing becomes more automatic, though you’ll never see everything. That’s okay. The goal is developing awareness, not achieving perfection.
2.1Daily Awareness Practice
Begin with simple observation. For one week, track specific patterns without trying to change them. This baseline data shows you where you actually are, not where you think you are or wish you were. Most teachers are surprised by what they discover.
Track who you call on in class discussions. Keep a simple tally: boys, girls, non-binary students if you have them. Also note who calls out and whether you respond to them or redirect them to raise hands. Research consistently shows teachers call on boys more frequently and respond to boys’ call-outs while correcting girls for the same behavior (Sadker et al., 2009). Most teachers believe they’re equitable until they count.
Notice who interrupts whom and how you respond. In group discussions, who talks over others? Whose interruptions do you allow to stand, and whose do you correct? Research on professional meetings shows men interrupt women far more than the reverse, and these patterns begin in childhood (Karpowitz et al., 2012). Your classroom is where students learn whether their voice matters enough to interrupt for, or whether they should wait their turn.
Observe whose ideas you develop versus acknowledge briefly. After a student speaks, do you build on their contribution or move quickly past it? When you do develop an idea, whose was it? This pattern — where women’s contributions are overlooked until a man repeats them — has a name: hepeating (Solnit, 2014). It happens in classrooms too.
Pay attention to your emotional responses. Which students trigger frustration? Which ones warmth? Are there gender patterns? Do you have more patience with some students than others based on gender? Your emotional reactions reveal unconscious biases you may not want to acknowledge.
Notice your language choices. Do you say “guys” to address the class? Use “he” as default pronoun? Say “boys and girls” to organize students? Use gendered job titles like “fireman”? These small linguistic choices accumulate into lessons about who’s default and who’s other.
2.2Weekly Reflection Questions
Set aside fifteen minutes each week to write responses to these questions. Be honest — this is for your eyes only. The point is genuine self-examination, not performing awareness.
About your practice: What patriarchal patterns did you notice this week? When did you interrupt or challenge patriarchy? When did you let it pass unchallenged? What made you uncomfortable? Why? What assumptions did you make based on gender?
About your curriculum: Whose voices were centered in what you taught? Whose labor was visible? Whose was invisible? What narratives about gender did your materials reinforce or challenge? Where could you have made different choices?
About your growth: What did you learn about yourself? What do you want to change? What felt hard about this work? Where did you succeed? What support do you need?
These questions become easier to answer over time as you develop the habit of noticing. Early reflections might be brief or surface-level. That’s fine. Keep practicing. The depth comes with repetition.
2.3Monthly Pattern Analysis
Once a month, look for patterns across your weekly observations. This is where individual moments become systemic understanding.
Examine your discipline records. Who did you discipline and for what? Were there gender patterns? Boys are disciplined more frequently and more harshly than girls, but for different types of behaviors — boys for actions, girls for attitude (Skiba et al., 2002). What patterns appear in your data? How do you explain them? Be willing to sit with uncomfortable answers.
Review participation and achievement. Are there gender patterns in who’s succeeding or struggling? In which subjects or types of work? How might your teaching contribute to these patterns? Who gets extensions, support, second chances? Is there a pattern?
Analyze your relationships with students. Which students do you know well? Which remain distant? Are there gender patterns in who you connect with? Often teachers connect more easily with students whose gender matches their own, or with students who conform to gender expectations. This isn’t inherently wrong, but it’s worth noticing.
2.4Bias Examination Prompts
These prompts push deeper than weekly questions. Sit with them. Write your immediate response, then dig beneath it. Push past the initial defensive reaction.
On leadership: When you think of a “natural leader”, what do you picture? What gender? Which students do you see as leaders? Why? What leadership qualities do you value — are they gendered? Do you recognize different forms of leadership, or only dominant ones?
On behavior: Whose misbehavior do you excuse? Whose do you punish more harshly? What behaviors bother you most — are they gendered? Do you have different standards for “respect” based on student gender?
On ability: Who do you see as “gifted” or “high-potential”? What patterns exist? Do you assume boys are naturally better at some subjects and girls at others? How do you respond to struggle — does it confirm assumptions or challenge them?
On emotions: What emotions are you comfortable with from students? What makes you uncomfortable? How do you respond to tears, anger, fear? Do your responses vary by student gender?
On bodies: Whose bodies do you monitor and comment on? Do you police dress codes equally? What assumptions do you make based on physical appearance? How do you talk about bodies, puberty, development?
These questions have no easy answers. The point is to surface assumptions you didn’t know you had, to make the unconscious conscious. Only then can you begin to change it.
3Transforming Classroom Culture
Self-examination must lead to changed practice. Understanding your biases matters only if it changes how you teach. This section provides concrete strategies for creating more equitable classroom culture.
3.1Language That Liberates
Language shapes thought. The words you use teach lessons about who matters, who’s default, who’s other. Changing your language is one of the most immediate interventions you can make.
Replace gendered address with inclusive language. Instead of “guys” or “you guys”, say “folks”, “everyone”, “y’all”, “friends”, “scholars”, or “people”. Instead of “boys and girls”, say “students” or “everyone”. Instead of “ladies and gentlemen”, say “distinguished guests” or “everyone”. When lining students up, don’t divide by gender — use birthday month, favorite color, anything non-gendered.
Use inclusive pronouns consistently. Instead of defaulting to “he” for unknown people, use “they” or alternate pronouns, or use the student’s name. This small change teaches that male isn’t universal.
Interrupt gendered insults immediately. When you hear “that’s so gay”, “don’t be a pussy”, “you throw like a girl”, or “stop being a bitch”, stop everything and address it. Every time. Don’t let it slide. Students are learning whether you’ll enforce your values or just perform them. Your response might be: “We don’t use ‘gay’ as an insult in this classroom. Being gay isn’t bad”. Or: “That insult works by comparing someone to a woman, as if that’s shameful. It’s not”. Or: “I need you to think about why that’s insulting. What’s it saying about women? About LGBTQ+ people?”
Use students’ chosen names and pronouns. If a student tells you their pronouns, use them. If you make a mistake, correct yourself quickly and move on — don’t center your discomfort. Model correct usage for other students. Intervene if other students misgender intentionally. This isn’t about being “politically correct”. It’s basic respect for students’ humanity.
Notice and name when gendered language limits thinking. When it appears in curriculum or discussion, make it visible. “Notice we said ‘he’ for the scientist automatically. Scientists are all genders”. Or: “We keep saying ‘mankind.’ What does that make invisible?” These small interruptions teach students to notice language patterns they’ve been trained to ignore.
3.2Discussion Structures That Distribute Power
How discussions happen teaches lessons about whose voice matters. Without structure, dominant voices win — usually boys, usually those already confident in their authority. Explicit norms and protocols create space for all voices.
Establish and practice discussion norms. One person speaks at a time — no interrupting. Listen to understand, not just to respond. Build on others’ ideas and credit them: “As [name] said…” or “Building on [name]’s point…” Step up if you’re quiet; step back if you’re dominating. Make space for others — if you’ve spoken a lot, wait.
These norms directly counter patriarchal patterns where dominant voices interrupt, talk over others, and take up disproportionate space. By making norms explicit and practicing them, you teach different ways of being in conversation.
Use structured protocols, not just open discussion. Whip around: everyone speaks briefly in turn. Students can pass, but everyone gets opportunity. Think-pair-share: individual thinking time, then pair discussion, then whole group. This gives processing time and ensures everyone talks at least to a partner. Talking piece: only the person holding an object can speak; it must be passed. Written first: everyone writes before discussing. This ensures quiet students have formed thoughts before discussion begins.
These structures feel artificial at first, but they’re necessary to counter deeply ingrained patterns. Over time, students internalize more equitable discussion habits.
Call on students who don’t have hands up. Tell students: “I’m going to call on people whether hands are up or not, so everyone should be thinking”. Give think time first. Allow “I need more time” or “I want to hear others first” as valid responses. Don’t make it punitive.
Why? Because girls are socialized to wait, to not push forward, to let others speak first. If you only call on raised hands, you’ll systematically hear less from girls and from students who’ve learned their voices don’t matter. Calling on students without raised hands disrupts this pattern.
Monitor your own facilitation actively. Are you letting interruptions happen or enforcing the one-person-speaks norm? Whose ideas are you developing and whose are you acknowledging briefly? Who are you making eye contact with? Who are you encouraging to say more? Are you redirecting students who dominate? This requires constant attention. Keep bringing yourself back to awareness.
Debrief the process periodically. “What did you notice about who talked and who didn’t?” “Were there interruption patterns?” “Whose ideas got picked up? Whose got dropped?” “How did gender play out in our conversation?” Making dynamics visible helps students learn to recognize and change them.
3.3Group Work That Challenges Hierarchies
How you group students and structure their collaboration teaches lessons about who should work with whom, who’s capable of what, and whose contributions matter.
Be intentional about group composition. Don’t default to student choice — this reproduces existing social hierarchies and segregation. Don’t use random grouping exclusively — this leaves patterns to chance. Don’t use gender-segregated grouping — this reinforces that gender is the primary category for organizing people. Instead, be strategic. Mix genders, abilities, and personalities intentionally based on what you’re trying to accomplish. Rotate groups regularly so students work with everyone over time.
Assign and rotate roles explicitly. Don’t let students default to gendered roles. Assign: facilitator (keeps group on task), recorder (takes notes), presenter (shares with class), timekeeper (monitors progress), resource manager (gets materials). Everyone does every role over time. Girls don’t just record. Boys don’t just present. Students learn that all roles are for all people.
Teach collaborative skills explicitly. Don’t assume students know how. Teach: how to build on someone’s idea (“What [name] said makes me think…”), how to disagree respectfully (“I see it differently because…”), how to make space for quiet members (“We haven’t heard from everyone yet. [Name], what do you think?”), how to credit others (“That was [name]’s idea”), how to share leadership (taking turns facilitating, checking in about process).
Practice these skills through role-play and structured activities. Debrief: What worked? What was hard? How did you navigate disagreement? Who spoke more or less, and why?
Monitor group dynamics and intervene. Circulate during group work. Watch for: who’s talking and who’s silent, who’s doing the work and who’s coasting, gendered role division (girls recording while boys lead), exclusion or dominance patterns. Intervene when you see problems. “I notice [name] hasn’t spoken yet. [name], what do you think?” Or: “It seems like [name] is doing all the recording. Let’s rotate that role”. Don’t wait until the end. Interrupt in the moment.
Debrief group work afterward. “How did your group divide up work?” “Who took which roles? Why?” “Were there challenges with participation?” “What would you do differently next time?” Help students develop awareness of collaboration and gender dynamics.
3.4Assessment That Serves Learning
How you assess teaches lessons about what knowledge counts, whose ways of showing learning are valued, and what success looks like.
Offer multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge. Don’t rely only on timed tests (favors certain processing styles), oral presentations (favors confident performers), written essays (favors certain communication styles), or competitive formats (favors dominance-oriented students). Also include: projects and portfolios, collaborative work, creative demonstrations, self-assessment and reflection, untimed assessments, choice in format.
Different students show knowledge in different ways. Varied assessment is more equitable and gives you fuller picture of understanding.
Be transparent about criteria. What’s the actual learning goal? What does proficiency look like? How does this assignment measure that goal? What criteria matter and why? Students shouldn’t have to guess what you want. Clarity is equity. When expectations are vague, students with cultural capital have advantage. When expectations are explicit, everyone can succeed.
Examine whether your rubrics reward patriarchal performance. Do they value: confidence over thoughtfulness, assertiveness over collaboration, individual competition over collective achievement, dominant presentation styles over other forms of communication, speed over depth? Consider rewarding: collaboration not just individual work, process not just product, different forms of excellence, growth not just performance.
Use formative assessment throughout. Monitor discussion participation and quality. Collect short reflections on readings. Analyze how students apply frameworks to current events. Facilitate peer feedback on drafts. Conduct self-assessment check-ins. Have informal conversations about learning. This tells you what students understand and what needs more attention, allowing you to adjust in real time.
Grade less, give feedback more. Not everything needs a grade. Consider: feedback without grades on drafts, self-assessment with teacher comments, peer review processes, portfolios with reflection. Constant grading creates competition and anxiety. Feedback creates learning (Kohn, 1999).
3.5Physical Space That Reflects Values
How you organize physical space teaches about whose comfort matters, who belongs, and what’s valued.
Arrange space flexibly, not in rows facing front. Rows reinforce teacher authority and limit interaction. Consider: tables for collaboration, flexible arrangements for different activities, student choice in where to sit, varied configurations. Create arrangements that facilitate different types of learning and interaction.
Audit your classroom library and materials. Whose stories are represented? What’s the ratio of male to female to non-binary authors and protagonists? What cultures, identities, and experiences are visible? Do materials challenge or reinforce stereotypes? Actively seek diverse materials. Students need to see themselves in curriculum and to see experiences different from their own.
Curate your visual environment thoughtfully. What’s on your walls? Whose faces are in posters and images? What messages do displays send about gender? Are there images of people defying stereotypes? Do students see themselves reflected? Your walls teach. Make sure they’re teaching equity.
Support gender-inclusive bathroom access if you have any control. If possible: advocate for gender-neutral bathrooms, don’t police which bathroom students use, respect students’ choices, advocate for all-stall bathrooms. If you don’t have control, at least don’t add to policing. Don’t question students about bathroom use.
Apply dress codes equitably if you must enforce them. Apply them equally regardless of gender. Don’t interrupt education for violations. Question whether violations are about safety or policing bodies. Better yet, advocate for eliminating gendered dress codes entirely. Most dress codes are about controlling girls’ bodies, not about safety or learning.
3.6Modeling Non-Patriarchal Authority
Students learn from who you are, not just what you teach. Your own gender performance, how you embody or challenge patriarchy, matters enormously.
Show your full humanity appropriately. Admit mistakes and model learning from them. Show vulnerability within professional boundaries. Express a range of emotions. Share power with students. Be transparent about your thinking and decisions. When you model being human — fallible, learning, emotional, collaborative — you give students permission to be human too.
Challenge gender norms in your own presentation. Male teachers: do visible care work like decorating the classroom, providing emotional support, maintaining relationships. Show vulnerability. Be nurturing. Model that men can do all of this. Female teachers: refuse the gendered care trap. Assert yourself without seeking permission. Express anger — it’s not unfeminine, it’s human. Demonstrate that emotional labor isn’t women’s natural duty but a social script you can reject. All teachers: defy gendered expectations in your dress, interests, communication style. Show students that gender is flexible.
Distribute labor equitably. If you work with other teachers, don’t default to women doing care work and decoration, or to men doing “heavy lifting”. Share all types of work across genders. Make invisible labor visible and valued. Students notice who does what work among adults. They’re learning what’s “natural” for each gender by watching you.
Use authority differently. Share power with students through real input on rules, curriculum, assessment. Be transparent about why you make decisions. Admit when you’re wrong or don’t know. Don’t demand deference. Create collaborative authority, not hierarchical authority. This models non-patriarchal power relations. Students learn that authority doesn’t have to mean domination.
4Integrating Practice Across Your Teaching
These strategies — language shifts, discussion structures, group work practices, assessment approaches, spatial arrangements, modeling — aren’t separate techniques to implement one at a time. They’re interconnected practices that together create classroom culture different from patriarchal norms.
Start somewhere. You don’t have to transform everything at once. Choose one practice to focus on this week. Maybe it’s changing your language from “guys” to “folks”. Maybe it’s implementing think-pair-share. Maybe it’s tracking who you call on. Start small and build.
Layer practices over time. As one practice becomes habitual, add another. Maybe you start with inclusive language, then add discussion protocols, then revise your group work structures. Each practice reinforces the others. Together they create culture shift.
Expect discomfort — yours and students’. This feels different from what everyone’s used to. That makes sense. You’re changing patterns that have been practiced for years. Students who’ve learned to navigate patriarchal school successfully may resist changes. That’s information, not a reason to stop. Hold the line while being compassionate about discomfort.
Track your progress. Keep using the observation and reflection tools. Notice what’s changing and what’s not. Celebrate small wins. Be honest about ongoing challenges. This work is ongoing, not a destination. You’re developing a practice of awareness and change that continues as long as you teach.
Connect to curriculum. The cultural shifts in this chapter create conditions for the teaching in chapter 7. You can’t teach critically about gender while maintaining patriarchal classroom dynamics. The practices here — how you speak, how you structure discussion, how you organize students, how you assess — create the foundation for explicitly teaching about patriarchy and liberation.
5What Success Looks Like
Success isn’t perfection. It’s not never making mistakes or always seeing every pattern. Success is developing awareness, noticing when you’ve reproduced patriarchy, and working to change it. It’s students beginning to notice and name patterns. It’s classroom culture that feels different from patriarchal norms, even if imperfectly. It’s your own growth over time — seeing what you couldn’t see before, changing what you couldn’t change before.
Small changes accumulate. Using inclusive language might seem trivial, but multiply it by thousands of daily instances across a school year, and you’ve taught students that male isn’t default. Rotating group roles might seem like a minor procedural change, but over time students learn that all work is for all people. Interrupting one sexist comment might not transform everything, but it teaches students that you mean what you say about equity.
These practices create ripples. Students who experience equitable discussion in your class might expect it elsewhere. Students who learn collaborative skills might use them in other contexts. Students who see you model non-patriarchal authority might question hierarchical authority elsewhere. You’re not just changing your classroom — you’re changing what students think is possible.
Chapter 7 builds on this foundation, providing frameworks for explicitly teaching about gender, power, and patriarchy across grade levels. But everything that follows depends on the classroom culture you create through these practices. You can’t teach liberation in an oppressive environment. You have to create the conditions where liberatory learning becomes possible.
That’s the work of this chapter. Creating those conditions. Building that culture. Practicing liberation daily.