By Tanji Reed Marshall
What kind of power do teachers have? What influences their instructional decision making—and how does that affect students, particularly Black students and other students of color? How can educators move away from practices that oppress and devalue students to practices that support and empower them?
These are just a few of the questions that author Tanji Reed Marshall answers in Understanding Your Instructional Power. Countering the notion that teachers are powerless in the classroom, she introduces the Power Principle to help teachers unpack how they understand and use the power associated with their authority and responsibility as an educator.
Drawing from her own experience as a classroom teacher and coach, Reed Marshall explains how the Power Principle reveals itself through various elements, including language use (by both students and teachers), “hidden curriculum,” and classroom culture.
She identifies four levels of curricular autonomy that teachers have (Unfettered, Calibrated, Restricted, and Minimal) and four dimensions of instructional power that characterize their classroom environment (Empowering, Agentive, Protective, and Disenfranchising).
Reflection exercises throughout the book guide readers through a deep analysis of their personal and professional histories and ideologies, including how these influence students’ learning experiences.
Reed Marshall shares her own journey of setbacks and progress as she offers support and encouragement to K–12 teachers seeking to use their power in productive ways so that all students can bring their full selves to class and receive the education they deserve.
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By Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall
What kind of power do teachers have? What influences their instructional decision making—and how does that affect students, particularly Black students and other students of color? How can educators move away from practices that oppress and devalue students to practices that support and empower them?
These are just a few of the questions that author Tanji Reed Marshall answers in Understanding Your Instructional Power. Countering the notion that teachers are powerless in the classroom, she introduces the Power Principle to help teachers unpack how they understand and use the power associated with their authority and responsibility as an educator.
Drawing from her own experience as a classroom teacher and coach, Reed Marshall explains how the Power Principle reveals itself through various elements, including language use (by both students and teachers), “hidden curriculum,” and classroom culture.
She identifies four levels of curricular autonomy that teachers have (Unfettered, Calibrated, Restricted, and Minimal) and four dimensions of instructional power that characterize their classroom environment (Empowering, Agentive, Protective, and Disenfranchising).
Reflection exercises throughout the book guide readers through a deep analysis of their personal and professional histories and ideologies, including how these influence students’ learning experiences.
Reed Marshall shares her own journey of setbacks and progress as she offers support and encouragement to K–12 teachers seeking to use their power in productive ways so that all students can bring their full selves to class and receive the education they deserve.
This is a must read to identify, understand, and change the educational system!
This book is an essential read for all levels of the educational system. If you’re a new teacher, advocate, new or seasoned leader, the concepts presented in this book help to frame and clarify understanding for the “unnamed”: your power. This book helps you understand the dynamics at play in a system. Educators and advocates / Take the time to read this – self-reflect, and then put the practices that Dr. Marshall so brilliantly offers – read it with a group and enact change! Our students deserve it.
Melissa A. Lambert
Co-founder, Fostering Quality Schools
In order to get to true equity, we must shift from a narrow focus on best practices to thinking about instructional power. More than just covering content, instructional power, as Reed Marshall outlines in her book, gives teachers a way to think differently about their impact on students in service of developing their agency to become powerful independent learners.
Zaretta Hammond
Teacher, educator, and author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall not only exposes how power dynamics in the classroom disrupt a child’s education but also provides a clear, impactful guide to help teachers make effective decisions throughout the school day. Any teacher who uses Understanding Your Instructional Power will tremendously improve their teaching and student relationships. I look forward to seeing the results Reed Marshall's work will have on our nation's schools.
Sharif El-Mekki
CEO, Center for Black Educator Development
Tanji Reed Marshall's book takes me back to 8th grade when I found my voice and became empowered to speak my truth. Only one teacher, Mr. Lovelace, empowered my agency through high expectations and a meaningful partnership with my family. Reed Marshall breaks down in realistic and tangible ways how, with deep self-awareness and acknowledgement of power, teachers can shift classroom cultures from protective and disenfranchising to agentive and empowering
Nancy B. Gutierrez
EdLD, president and CEO, The Leadership Academy
Contributions to Other Texts
Dr. Tanji has contributed to many articles and book chapters. Learn more about the other texts Dr. Tanji has contributed to by clicking the links below.
