Office Hours: My Favorite Teacher & The Looking Glass Self

Welcome to my office hours! I have often thought that the times  my students come and talk with me during office hours are some of the most real moments in higher education. The Office Hours episodes of Most Popular will try and give you that feeling of tucking in to a sort-of comfortable office chair and taking a deep dive into a topic, event, or question that needed some extra TLC. (We can also talk about the band TLC whenever you want.) This episode of Office Hours addresses a theory that is often covered in sociology, the looking glass self, a concept deeply rooted in demonstrating that the way we see ourselves is not always the way others see us. I relate it to the story of my favorite teacher, Mr. Tom Richert, who is retiring this year after one million years of service. I truly hope you all have had the opportunity to have that one supportive teacher in your life and I also hope this episode makes you think of them and maybe shoot a quick note to see how they are doing. Dr. Adrienne Trier-Bieniek is a gender and media scholar who has published books on gender and pop culture, Beyoncé's influence in music, Tori Amos's fandom, as well as publications focused on the ways pop culture can help heal from trauma. Dr. Adrienne has been featured in publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and NBC News and can be found at www.adriennetrier-bieniek.com or on Instagram @dr.adriennetb Supplemental teaching resources and more info for instructors is shared monthly via Dr. Adrienne's newsletter. Sign up at www.adriennetrier-Bieniek.com. Support the show here. (Unless you are a current student. In that case, keep your money and remember, on Wednesday's we wear pink.)