How can doing primary research itself be a mode of doing justice? What skills can we bring to our students that can enable them to research their own histories as a way of changing their--and our--present and future? These questions are at the core of our work as instructional faculty and librarians, but the power imbalances between us often interfere with the larger project of teaching students to do history in and with the catalog.
This workshop, co-facilitated by a member of the teaching faculty and a librarian, will explore ways the two can work together to engage students in collaborative, critical instruction through lesson and assignment planning. We will discuss ways librarians can nurture connections and relationships with faculty despite institutional and individual barriers in order to create a welcoming space for students and one another as we embark on the shared project of radical research with students. Rooted in relational practice, which values mutuality, empathy, and intentional openness to change (Jordan, 2004), and engaged pedagogy, which focuses on the well-being of one another and values student expressions (hooks, 1994), this session will also build on the facilitators’ own experiences. Specifically, we will examine these issues via assessment of our Introduction to Transgender Studies class. Participants will then use this model to reflect own their faculty relationships and develop ideas for collaborative assignments that empower students.
How do we collaborate in ways that model open and equitable practices for our students? How do we, as two cisgender faculty members, share authority with our students? And how can our work, on multiple levels, advance justice for our transgender students and our larger communities?
