After
reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed for the second time I have a better
understanding of Paulo Freire's work and what it means for me and my students.
When
I consider Freire beyond my TFA commitment, I think about how my practice will change
moving forward. I know I want to stay in the classroom for a few more years and
I want to apply some things that I have learned throughout our courses,
especially our work with Freire. Looking forward I want to do a better job of incorporating
my students’ culture and experiences. I want to move away from the banking
style of education and give my students the opportunity to contribute their
knowledge on a daily basis. I want my students shared experiences to be a norm
in the classroom. Freire states that with the banking notion of consciousness “the
educator’s role is to regulate the way the world ‘enters into’ students” (76).
I’m less interested in implementing the way I see the world to my students but more
interested in knowing how my students view the world, what they value, and their
opinions.
Taking
our Critical Pedagogy course has brought light to how the educational system is
structured. Our educational system is often compared to the social structures
of our society in which our students are often oppressed and have very little
opportunity for choice or freedom of expression. I realize that within my
classroom I am able to break down these barriers. As I think about the action research project
my students are crafting, the ultimate goal is to give my students the
opportunity to be empowered to create change. I also want them to have a sense
of security in their classroom where they have the freedom to express
themselves. In the classroom my students are thinking of ways they can create
projects in their class to improve their class environment. I realize the empowering
my students to create change in their class can help empower them to create
change outside of the classroom as well. Freire states that “in order for the
oppressed to be able to wage the struggle for their liberation, they must
perceive the reality of oppression not as a closed world from which there is no
exit, but as limiting situation which they can transform” (49). I want my
students to realize that they can transform their world and become change
agents not only for their classroom but beyond their class as well.
I love the part of blog where you said that you wanted your students to be "empowered to create change." What a powerful mindset that that is - and definitely something that Freire would have been an advocate for! It is so important to really listen to our students when they are talking to us about the world that they live and the views that arise from those experiences. They have such power in their learning but truly are easy to miss in the craziness of the day or simply, because you are not listening carefully enough. I do it ALL the time. Freire also made me think about how dialogue can help my students in my classroom to feel more loved and valuable which will in turn create a stronger classroom culture.
ReplyDeleteI love the part where you say " I’m less interested in implementing the way I see the world to my students but more interested in knowing how my students view the world, what they value, and their opinions." I think this is so powerful and definitely something I too and trying to think more about. It is so easy to tell our students the answers and to tell them what to do but how often do we actually sit back and ask their opinions on lessons, or what they would find helpful right now. How do they see the world and what are the positives, or negatives, that they see?
ReplyDeleteEmpowering students to become change agents not only in the classroom but beyond the classroom is a powerful thing. I am so excited and I admire all that you are doing for your students and how you are really taking the time to think about them and their needs but currently and in the future.
-KM
I wholeheartedly agree with you when you say, "Our educational system is often compared to the social structures of our society in which our students are often oppressed and have very little opportunity for choice or freedom of expression." In so many ways, I see parallels between how the larger society conditions people to take a certain role in society based on class and race, and it's painful to know that this same conditioning is being reinforced in schools. This brings me back to one of our class discussions (rather, MANY of our class discussions) where we discussed how it feels that we may never truly have an impact on these kids and when we express that we are fighting a losing battle. I was encouraged by one part in particular in this months reading. Freire says, "as an individual perceives the extent of dehumanization, he or she may ask if humanization is a viable possibility (25)." I agree with Freire that it is, if we make the humanization of all people our job and priority.
ReplyDelete