Pronoun practices in the higher education classroom

Abstract

Pronouns are a crucial linguistic resource for transgender and nonbinary people, and educators are in a unique position to support trans and nonbinary students by implementing affirming pronoun practices for their classrooms. This paper outlines concrete strategies for creating a trans-affirming pedagogy in the context of higher education. The strategies discussed detail modelling pronoun introductions, collecting pronoun information, navigating pronoun misuse, and considerations related to curricula and classroom contexts. Pronoun practices are an essential step towards making the classroom an affirming place for transgender and nonbinary students to thrive.