The word "they" is a dangerous and disempowering word. At its worst, it describes a relationship with an obscure, nameless, faceless other. It places an artificial distance between "us" and "them", inviting us to consider the way that "they" do things, the beliefs and values "they" hold or the capabilities "they" possess to be different from ours. They is not an inclusive word.
But they and its related forms and associated language moves is used commonly in teaching and often when we refer to people or groups of people that we may hope our students would aspire to be.
In our classrooms, the word "they" is often used to refer to specialists or professionals in the field. "They" investigate the world of animals and plants might be how we refer to a scientist or biologist. "They" like to set things out neatly in columns could be how we advocate for mathematical thinking. "They" entertain their audience with their careful word choices describes what an author might do. In each instance, the language choices refer to someone who is not us. Neither the teacher nor the student is a member of this profession, and as such, we separate ourselves from the modes of thinking that such professions normalise. We are, at best tourists, or distanced observers of those with skills we lack.
And yet, every professional was, at some point in their career pathway, a complete novice. At some point, their mindset shifted, and they became what they are today. The shift comes as much from the language we use to describe ourselves as it does from the experience we have accumulated.
What changes when we refer to ourselves or our students as members of the community of thinkers and learners that they are apprenticed to? What changes when we are mindful in our use of a language of identity?
Deploying the language of identity means that we refer to our students as members of the discipline whose knowledge and thinking their learning relies upon. "As mathematicians, we will investigate the shapes present in this image." "As authors, we will use powerful vocabulary to respond to this experience." "As geographers, we will evaluate the impact of people on this environment." Using a language of identity as in these examples is empowering and encourages learner agency. Mathematics stops being something that other people do and becomes something that we do.
As with all of the language moves, shifting our patterns of choice can initially feel strange. Realising the long term benefits that more strategic language moves will bring can make this transition easier. It can also be useful to recruit a trusted colleague who will gently notice and name the occasions when you slip into old habits. It is also worth discussing your desire to be more strategic with your students. Explain to them why you are wanting to make the change and be clear that your language choices are driven by a belief in the value that they will have, not an effort to trick them.
If you are keen to know more about the language of identity and how language acts as one of the forces that shape the culture of our classrooms, please read "Creating Cultures of Thinking" by Ron Ritchhart.
By Nigel Coutts