When Students Have Power: Negotiating Authority in a Critical Pedagogy

by Ira Shor

What happens when teachers share power with students? In this profound book, Ira Shor—the inventor of critical pedagogy in the United States—relates the story of an experiment that nearly went out of control.

Shor provides the reader with a reenactment of one semester that shows what really can happen when one applies the theory and democratizes the classroom. This is the story of one class in which Shor tried to fully share with his students control of the curriculum and of the classroom. After twenty years of practicing critical teaching, he unexpectedly found himself faced with a student uprising that threatened the very possibility of learning. How Shor resolves these problems, while remaining true to his commitment to power-sharing and radical pedagogy, is the crux of the book. Unconventional in both form and substance, this deeply personal work weaves together student voices and thick descriptions of classroom experience with pedagogical theory to illuminate the power relations that must be negotiated if true learning is to take place.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

257 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this and immediately bought the other works by Shor

[William Lawrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great book for a theorist, but nothing practical. Shor's entire argument is faulty. Why should teachers have to negotiate authority? Does a manager or business owner negotiate authority with their employees? We live in a world of structured authority and to think any different sets up these students for failure in the real world. Giving students some choice is fine, but control? Our society has enough people who can't follow simple directions and now we want to make schooling less structured? Power? Students have power every time they read and write, whether they know it is another story.

[Drick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of Shor’s experiment in sharing power in a democratic classroom at Staten Island CC. Several interesting insights and practical ideas for developing a democratic classroom. I read it as part of my ongoing study of Freire in the classroom

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in critical pedagogy and interested in reading about a critical ped theorist and college writing classes. Shore writes about his experiment in sharing power with his students in the writing classroom.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

teaching during the "conservative restoration". Very good book.

[Gavin Farrell]

ordered Aug 10, 2016

[Zach]

When Students Have Power, by Ira Shor, is a fascinating and extraordinary true tale of democratic power sharing in the classroom. There are many profound lessons to learn and draw upon within.   


One of my favorites is when Shor reminds readers that "power is a learning problem and learning is a power problem."


Another favorite is when Shor argues that "the status quo has an internal strength carrying along many people who actually resent the system, especially in times of diminished dreams and rising security."