Identity in the Classroom

Your social identities, and those of your students, influence life experiences and the classroom environment. Social identities, defined as identities based on the social groups of which we are part (Tajfel 1978), include concepts such as race, nationality, religion, age, and gender. While social identities can provide an important sense of belonging and pride, they also influence how others perceive you (and how you perceive others). Further, some of your social identities may be more visible or apparent than others, which can add complexity to your personal understanding of identity as compared to how others view you and vice versa.

Everyone holds multiple identities, and the intersection of these influences your position of privilege in various contexts (Wijeyesinghe and Jones 2014). In the classroom, this can manifest as how your students perceive your intelligence, how your peers interpret your successes, or how you grade or interact with particular groups of students. For example, instructors with international accents may be perceived as less intelligent than those with domestic accents, peers may assume that instructors of color were hired based on affirmative action and not merit, and male instructors may feel that students are reluctant to reach out to them for help (Barnett 2013). It is also important to be aware that your students are also navigating assumptions made about them by their peers, and potentially unconsciously by you. Together, these layers of identity can greatly influence your experience as a TA and the learning of your students. As a TA, where you may be close in age to your students, identity can become a more significant factor affecting your interactions. 

three students sitting in the grass talking and working
Diverse groups of college students sitting at a table and smiling at the camera

Navigating social identity:

  • When you walk into the classroom, remember that you and your students are entering the space as full, complex people that each hold many identities and biases. Exercises such as the Social Identity Wheel can help you and your students reflect on social identities that may influence learning experiences. Which of your identities are most apparent to others? Which are important to you, but largely unrecognized by others? Do you have identities that have contributed to your academic successes and other identities that have made your academic experiences more challenging?
  • You can also take tests to uncover your implicit biases (unconscious biases held against certain groups of people). While it might feel unsettling to take these tests, being aware that you may unintentionally judge your students can help you recognize such thoughts when they arise and avoid acting upon them. Know that it is normal to hold implicit biases and that instances of bias arise frequently in classrooms (Boysen and Vogel 2009). Increased awareness of biases held by yourself and your students will make you a more effective and equitable instructor, and more prepared to address instances of bias when they arise.
  • You and your students, with your diversity of identities, each bring different perspectives and strengths to the classroom. Keep this in mind when interacting with students and designing activities. Getting to know your students as people will help you learn about their unique skills and interests, helping break assumptions that you may have held about them. Your students will also learn more about you and each other in the process, which will contribute to an inclusive learning environment. Also consider identity when selecting course materials (what are the identities of the researchers and historical figures that are represented in materials?), designing assessments (can students demonstrate knowledge through connecting material to lived experiences?), and connecting concepts to contemporary or historical events (are you highlighting events that are of interest to students of different backgrounds?). Being knowledgeable and open to a diversity of social identities will contribute to a rich learning environment, but ignoring student identities can inadvertently exasperate assumptions and biases.

equity-based principle: Critical Engagement of Difference

Recognizing and celebrating your identities and those of your students contributes to the principle of Critical Engagement of Difference. This principle acknowledges diversity as a learning asset and views student differences as contributions to the classroom, not issues in need of resolution.