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IM Live Session #2: Disrupting Traditional Classroom Hierarchies

In this session, John Asher Johnson led a demonstration lesson from his Astronomy 16 course. During the lesson, participants worked in small groups, with support from John and his teaching team, to calculate the mass of the earth and the moon.

After the demonstration, Kimberlyn Leary spoke with John about the intentional moves he makes and the language he uses to disrupt the traditional hierarchy between students and instructors; then, John answered questions from the audience. Date: February 21, 2023

Discussion Questions

  • In his opening lecture, how does John Asher Johnson both explicitly and implicitly attempt to disrupt traditional classroom hierarchies?
  • How do you see the teaching team work to break down traditional classroom hierarchies in their interactions with the small groups?
  • John mentions several specific moves that he uses to position students as knowledge holders and to deemphasize the power he holds as the instructor, including modeling mistake making and handing the chalk over so students can write on the boards. What moves might you use or adapt for use in your classroom?
  • John discusses the ways that Harvard as an institution reinforces traditional classroom hierarchies. Are there particular aspects of your context or your academic discipline that you want to target when attempting to dismantle hierarchies in your classroom?