“You have a bad attitude”: Preparing tutors for gender bias in the writing classroom and writing centre through autoethnography and storytelling

Abstract

While there is a wealth of professional resources on what to expect in teaching writing (McLeod, 2007; Adler-Kassner & Wardle 2015; Malenczyk, 2016; Rose & Weiser, 1999, 2002, 2010), how to navigate gender bias in the writing classroom and writing centre conference has received less scholarly attention, especially in Australia. Since the emotional turn in writing studies, the place of emotion (Micciche, 2016, 2007, 2002) and the need for resilience training in the preparation of writing instructors (Moore, 2018; Wooten et al, 2020) have been well-documented. However, less well-documented are the potential effects of gender discrimination on the emotional wellbeing and career progression of women in an unprecedented mental health “epidemic” in higher education (Weale 2019). This article recommends storytelling and autoethnography as powerful qualitative methods for helping women process and document their own experiences of gender discrimination, learn from the experiences of others and devise strategies for resilience and self-care – and for helping male colleagues to become better allies.