The Mouse-in-the-pocket Trick
This nifty thing is brought to you by Olivia Fader, Dalhousie’s 2SLGBTQ+ advisor (link opens to Olivia’s staff page). Nifty things are small, but potent, easy-to-implement pedagogical tactics or interventions that elegantly, satisfyingly, or efficiently solve a teaching & learning problem, or achieves a teaching & learning goal.
What teaching & learning goal or problem does this thing set out to achieve or solve?
Using the Mouse-In-The-Pocket Trick is a great way to start using they/them pronouns more comfortably. This is a preliminary step, for when you want to be respectful, but don't have the practice yet. Sort of like training wheels for equity! It feels a little silly, but sometimes the suggestion of this to someone who is struggling can also give them a helpful little push. If they feel that an imaginary mouse is too much, perhaps it's easier to conceptualize they/them as a singular pronoun.
How is it done, from start to finish?
When you're new to using they/them pronouns for a student, friend, or family member, the trick is to imagine the person in question as having a little mouse in their breast pocket, always with them. So when you're speaking about them, you're speaking about the person AND the mouse together. "They (student and mouse) are stopping by after class."
In which course and/or teaching context is this nifty thing deployed?
This is a trick I give to colleagues, both staff and faculty, who are new to using they/them pronouns for students, or family. It can be especially handy if you have an older relative who is struggling with using these pronouns for a younger family member!
Why is it so nifty?
This trick is particularly nifty, as it really is an invitation in. So many people I encounter want to be a better support for 2SLGBTQ+ students, friends, and family, but don't want to mess up. This trick acknowledges that there's a learning curve, and that we're all capable of growing and changing our minds!
What should we know if we would like to try it ourselves?
If you're going to use or suggest the Mouse-In-The-Pocket trick, it's important to remember that this is just a first step to get the right words out. There's more work to do, to really break our minds out of binary thinking, be curious about the nuances of the identities around us, and to start to think about ways we're upholding the binary ourselves.
What resources, if any, helped you to develop this?
I originally saw this idea on a Reddit thread years ago, but don't know the original creator.
What is its level of niftiness, for you?
The image shows a star rating. One start indicates that the thing is nifty, but limited; three starts indicate that it’s a key part of the teaching toolkit; and five starts indicates it’s a key tactic and the author uses it all the time. The author has rated this four out of five stars.