Educational Psychology—Limitations and Possibilities

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knowledge is shared in the classroom. It forces us all to recognize our complicity in accepting
and perpetuating biases of any kind” (hooks, 1994). Through an exploration of the origins of
knowledge, whose knowledge is shared, as well as the manner in which knowledge is presented,
it becomes more possible and more probable that the voices of those who have historically been
excluded and subjugated will emerge. However, “many teachers are disturbed by the political
implications of a multicultural education because they fear losing control in a classroom where
there is no one way to approach a subject—only multiple ways and multiple references” (hooks,
1994). It is not difficult to detect Western science’s imprint on this desire for a certainty and
predictability that create less contentious spaces.
A search for certainty necessarily eliminates diverse perspectives related to students’ experiences.
Often personal talk in the classroom, particularly in higher education, is viewed as
distraction from the theoretical tasks at hand. Or, the theoretical is viewed as having no place in
students’ lived experiences. There is a disconnect. If from many teachers’ perspectives, myself
included, narrative and autobiography appear to have a powerful impact on academic and emotional
growth, that is, they not only contribute to the cognitive complexity of a topic but also
increase a sense of belonging and community that is so crucial to many students’ success, why
has the experiential been resisted so strongly? In the most simplistic term, I believe this returns
us to the notion of fear—fear of knowing others and being known by others; fear of the passion
that diverse, contradictory perspectives might incite; and fear of changing an entrenched way of
teaching. While such fears cannot be completely eliminated (this may not even be desirable), they
dissipate somewhat with an engaged pedagogical practice that encourages community building in
the classroom as a way to recognize the value of individual voices. “Any radical pedagogy must
insist that everyone’s presence is acknowledged,” yet “that insistence cannot be simply stated.
It has to be demonstrated through pedagogical practices” (hooks, 1994). Another component
of the fear of knowing and being known is that the sense of belonging that it can potentially
create might lead teaching and learning to become pleasurable and loving acts. “Pleasure in the
classroom is feared. If there is laughter, a reciprocal exchange may be taking place” (hooks, 1994)
and such reciprocity, pleasure, and enjoyment might lead to an atmosphere of love, an avoided
and somewhat dangerous topic in education because loving students and being loved by them is
suspect.
hooks’s engaged pedagogy “is rooted in the assumption that we all bring to the classroom
experiential knowledge, that this knowledge can indeed enhance our learning experience” (hooks,
1994). It affirms presence, the right to a voice, and value of difference. “It’s as though many people
know that the focus on difference has the potential to revolutionize the classroom and they do
not want the revolution to take place” (hooks, 1994). Difference entails the acknowledgment
of the race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ideological positions that we occupy because
this positionality determines the consciousness that defines our experiences. Consciousness is a
cultural, social, and political construct that cannot be separated from power. “The unwillingness
to approach teaching from a standpoint that includes awareness of race, sex, and class is often
rooted in fear that classrooms will be uncontrollable, that emotion will not be contained” (hooks,
1994). Again, we fear what we cannot control, what we cannot quantify, what requires us to
engage in a true dialogue in which we are open to mutual change.
Willingness to engage with others in the difficult work of transforming a culture based upon
white supremacy, domination, and patriarchy becomes more possible when we create a community
dedicated to dialogue and change. “We need to generate greater cultural awareness of the way
white-supremacist thinking operates in our daily lives. We need to hear from the individuals who
know, because they have lived anti-racist lives, what everyone can do to decolonize their minds, to
maintain awareness, change behavior, and create beloved community” (hooks, 2003). Classroom
communities that reflect counterhegemonic content and processes have the potential to link body,