Paper Short Abstract:

This presentation places the feminine teaching as learning to deconstruct binaries which separate human values such as genius, joy, love, empathy and human vulnerability in contrast to measuring intelligence, disconnecting body/mind, and privileging non-human capacities as academic performance

Paper Abstract:

Historically there is enough evidence of women in charge of teaching and education. It is overwhelming the number of women in education in each society, historical periods on democracy or not democratic societies. Also, it has been documented the erasure of women in leadership positions within administrative roles inside educational institutions. For a feminist perspective such realities are not indifferent and have concrete explanations.

It is also overwhelming the impact of womanist teaching practices informed by diverse women of color intersectional methodologies centered on teaching to shift narratives. This praxis may be deconstructing binaries as only one example. In this presentation I explain what is deconstructing and decolonizing the binaries, which is a threshold concept within diverse feminist approaches. Specifically, the canonical binary feminine v. masculine which created frameworks where the masculine is separated from emotional attachments and feminine becomes the land of emotions, feelings, connection, integration, holistic and embodied ways of knowing. These contrasting words feminine and masculine are still historically thickly layered with opposite values and have created struggles for holistic connections, empathy, fluidity and creativity, skills that are necessary inside of diverse ways of learning.

We can uncover the feminine approach(es), we can teach and facilitate these days under the guideline: For your sanity, be feminine with your thoughts, shift the narrative of anxiety, afraid of felling and practice inner dialogues, among others, curate mi estudiante/learner as Maria Sabina Mexican healer taught us. We can unpack our methods as divine feminine teachers.