Some Lingering Thoughts About Feminist Pedagogy

I've been thinking quite a bit about last week's class. I think it was a powerful example of the difference between simply reading about a theory and experiencing firsthand the theory as it plays out. When I read through last week's chapter about feminist pedagogy, I kept thinking that it didn't seem like a separate pedagogy. Rather, that it seemed to be part of other pedagogies which strive to provide a more comprehensive, democratic atmosphere.

But after last week, I've found myself wondering if I've been too oblivious to gender and the role it plays in the classroom. That's not to say that I haven't given it any thought, it's just that I didn't think I viewed the classroom through the lens of gender. Or do I?

After last week's class, I kept thinking about an experience I had a few weeks ago. I was helping my wife with the Irvington Farmers' Market. A woman and man (who were clearly together as a couple) came up to purchase their produce. The woman pulled the money out of her pocket and handed it to me. When I made the change from their purchase, I handed it back to the man. I didn't really think about it; I just did it. I caught myself because I hate it when people do that when my wife and I are out. I apologized, and the woman just laughed it off, but I think that was a small demonstration of how deeply engrained our patriarchical society really is.