As a queer cis man and Middle Eastern migrant, I am rather sensitive to a diversity of subjectivities. I have first-hand experience of oppression, marginalisation and displacement. At the same time, I have benefited from privileges such as a middle-class background, a Western education and an intellectual-cultural career. This combination enables me to bridge differences, relate to different identities and adapt to specific audiences.
At the same time, since most of my pedagogical experience comes from horizontal organising and peer-to-peer relationships, I cannot claim to have an informed and reflexive understanding of power asymmetries such as intergenerational, teacher-learner or professional-trainee. I am not always sure what kind of affective communication to maintain with students.
For instance, I could ‘tone down’ some of my activist attitudes and discourses, to give more space and time for students to reach their own conclusions with independent critical thinking. [based on 360º Survey] At times I am aware that I get impatient when students ‘fall back’ into conventional approaches that we had previously critiqued / deconstructed / debunked in class. On one occasion I had caused some discouragement in a student who felt harshly criticised, but fortunately I was able to clear up the confusion and help them regain their motivation.
Following the resources I have consulted [see Additional Resources], I identified several key values that I follow as my pole star. Whenever I am developing a course, deciding on activities or tutoring a student, I often reflect what else I could do to get closer to these ideals. Consider this to be my pedagogical mission statement:
Learner-centred approach: I put the needs, interests and experiences of my students before institutional requirements. I try to encourage them to direct their own learning, to create opportunities for collaboration with peers, and to use assessment strategies that respect their autonomy and support their self-reflection.
Decolonising education: I explicitly acknowledge that traditional education has been used to reinforce systems of oppression and I hope to contribute to their dismantling. I decentre Western systems of knowledge and include diverse perspectives and cosmologies in the curriculum. I devote intentional moments for critical dialogue and reflection to examine power dynamics within the classroom.
"Education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by reconciling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students." (Freire, 1970, p. 72)
Holistic Experience: I aim to integrate multiple ways of being, experiencing and understanding by facilitating cognitive, affective and (more rarely) practical learning processes. Modulating these forms allows me to engage everyone without unfairly favouring one approach over another.
Community Building: Creating a space of belonging, mutual support and collective action among students is key to a learning environment that is safe, brave and open. This involves creating opportunities to build relationships based on trust and mutual respect, rather than coercion and self-interest.
"Belonging means feeling like you are an important part of the group and that the group is an important part of you." (Richards, 2020, p. 89)
Social justice and liberation: I integrate stories of social and environmental justice and activism into the curriculum. I strive to inspire and encourage students to challenge and disrupt systems of oppression, both within and outside educational institutions. I prioritise the development of critical consciousness and agency over unquestioned knowledge and cynicism.
Authenticity and Vulnerability: I try to be my authentic, whole and vulnerable self in the classroom, rather than role-playing professional detachment and expert (over)confidence. I use personal storytelling as a way to connect with students and to be transparent and accountable about my own biases and limitations.
""Authenticity is a key component of social justice pedagogy. Teachers must be willing to be vulnerable, to share their own struggles and successes, and to be open to learning from their students." (Mink, 2019, p. 8)