I chose to reflect on Brookfield (2015)'s chapter on power as my own power as an instructor is one of the that's taken me longest to become comfortable with. Early in my teaching career, I can remember myself almost not wanting to look at the fact that I, as instructor, held so much power over students through how I shaped the classroom and how I assessed. Perhaps this was in some ways a manifestation of the impostor syndrome that I experienced most acutely early on as an instructor. But at any rate, I found the author's point that power is ubiquitous in the classroom to be helpful as it reminded way that there's truly no way to shy away from it and we can only address it with eyes open.
I appreciated that Brookfield (2015) offered concrete and grounding steps to help instructors gauge their use of power. I agree with his assertions that transparency is incredibly important in convincing students that you're a responsible instructor. In reflecting back on my early teaching, I'm dismayed to realize that this was an area where I was lacking and can only surmise that I felt the ability of my students to suss out my expectations was something inherently expected of students in academia. I'm realizing that I can offer a rigorous course and yet offer clear expectations. Indeed, I've moved towards a teaching model where I actively encourage students to ask for clarification as I've realized that too many times in the past, students have done poorly on assignments owing to my own lack of clarity in instructions.
I've also realized that I need to become much more comfortable seeking feedback from my students to be able to adjust the classroom environment throughout the term. I have a tendency to set the class at the beginning of the term and hope for the best, making corrections only the next time I offer the class. I think I've feared, to some extent confusion amongst learners if I'm seen to be adjusting the class on the fly, but I'm realizing that this is leading me to perhaps seem unresponsive to student needs.
Where I disagree somewhat with the author is on his views on fairness. I take his point that perceptions of inconsistency in the classroom is damaging to instructor authority. But I've also come to feel that being rigidly in applying rules across the board can be counter productive too. For instance, several times a term, I encounter students who have legitimate bad luck and a small extension or bit of extra help makes a huge difference. Earlier in my career, when I was much more of a stickler for the rules, I found that being rigid, meant that students in such scenarios would often drop the class or become disengaged. My attempt at a compromise solution has been to let classes know at the outset that I'm happy to give each student in the class a small break once or twice a term if they ask for it. My sense is that this goes over fairly well with the class as a whole, but once again, I'm reminded that I really ought to seek feedback from the class to verify this sense.
Brookfield, S. (2015). The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
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