Empowerment Through Teaching

Empowerment through teaching is built on the feminist belief that successful and effective teaching is a cointentional process, emerging from meaningful connections between students and faculty. Empowerment results from teaching characterized by caring, commitment, creativity, interaction, and a recognition of the humanity of both teacher and students. Teaching is conceptualized as a directional process emerging from the energy of both student and teacher. There must be continued, intense, and frequent exchange of these energies. The tools that students and teacher must possess or acquire for empowerment include positive self-concept, creativity, resources, information, and support. This perspective permits a new understanding of teaching that results in empowerment of both parties involved in the process of learning.