No Angel in the Classroom (eBook)

Taking a fresh look at questions that have long troubled teachers committed to social change, No Angel in the Classroom provides a richly conceptualized and down-to-earth account of feminist teaching in higher education. Long-time feminist educator, Berenice Malka Fisher, gives a nuanced interpretation of second wave feminist consciousness-raising that bridges the gap between feminist activism and the academy. Candid classroom stories bring out the myths embedded in many activist ideals of the 1970s, while Fisher's informed analysis builds on these tensions, offering a complex amount of experience, emotion, thought, and action in feminist teaching.

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No Angel in the Classroom: Teaching through Feminist Discourse presents a theoretically complex yet down-to-earth and personal account of feminist teaching in higher education. Starting with a nuanced interpretation of consciousness-raising, longtime feminist educator Berenice Malka Fisher develops her philosophy of feminist teaching as a form of political discourse. Through reflection on a series of candid classroom stories, she analyzes knotty problems faced by academics and activists. What counts as knowledge in discussion of feminist issues? Can teachers exercise authority without being authoritarian? What is the role of caring in political deliberation? Should safety be considered when students and teachers address volatile topics? How can feminist and other teachers committed to social justice give serious attention to the intersections of gender, race, and sexual orientation? This groundbreaking book is intended for the beginning and veteran teachers and others concerned with the contribution of education to extending social justice. Fisher's work offers a pedagogical vision that inspires both passion and critical thinking.