Uses critical pedagogy to provide theoretical inspiration for generating ideas about teaching communication courses. Presents a framework for a public speaking course premised on a recognition of teachers and students as holistically situated, multidimensional subjects who bring different experiences to the classroom. Discusses social hierarchies…

Focuses on female teachers of writing to examine the relationship between female writing teachers and liberatory (critical) pedagogy. Sees a need to work toward a democratic curriculum in the teaching of writing but sees failure if women's experiences continue to be disregarded. (PA)

The author commends Drs. Bemak, Chung, and Siroskey-Sabdo on their efforts to connect with and empower African American adolescent females. However, he does have some concerns regarding their Empowerment Groups for Academic Success (EGAS) approach to empowering this particular group of students. While he agrees with the authors about the…

Children come to school with a variety of factors impinging on their academic success (Rose, 1998). The impact of these factors varies in degree. Furthermore, children from high-risk urban areas may experience barriers that not only hinder academic success, but also support their disengagement from educational institutions. Therefore, working with…

A reading and writing instructor of a population of students who are largely "marginalized" (of African descent, female, and/or poor) sees the literature of Toni Morrison as a relevant and critical teaching tool. Additionally, the instructor believes it is important to look critically at Morrison's literature for several reasons: (1)…

Why are girls, especially junior high school girls, continuing to learn in the shadows of their male counterparts, despite many teachers' continued attempts to treat both sexes as equal? Although one educator encouraged female participation in her classroom, she noticed two problems in particular that seemed to hinder the educational progress of…