Freire advocates for Critical Pedagogy to engage students
and teachers in “learning through teaching” relationships. I agree that teaching is researching together
with the students and their parents or guardians. Teaching is praxis –which Freire equates with
learning in the world and about the world, through reflection and action upon
our immediate reality.- Several authors
such as Luis Moll and others have researched Funds of Knowledge and cultural
capital, which could potentially aid teachers in engaging in meaningful
learning with their students. This is
because in order to be an effective teacher, I must first learn about my student
–and I learn that with my student.—In the process, I learn about effective
ways to help the student discover and learn the subject I am teaching. In
such processes I inevitably learn more about myself and act to change, to
modify, and to adapt.
During the USA Presidential Election Campaign in 2012, a
candidate made an unfortunate comment expressing his disdain about a teacher’s choice
to “help the student understand how he or she (student) learns.” Most politicians have the nerve to legislate
about education while knowing nothing about the subject. In fact, one of the traits that separate
effective learners from students who struggle is their ability to capitalize on
their strengths while compensating for their weaknesses in the process of
learning. Understanding one’s learning
styles is among the first steps to becoming a successful, effective learner. Such understanding is more likely (and
better) accomplished through interactions with someone who has a deep
understanding of learning and the subject matter at point.
When I was teaching, I used my planning period to learn
about my students through reviewing their work and talking with the students’
families. I
also thought about theories of education and human development. I wrote extensive notes –and questions—to the
students while keeping a teaching journal with events that transpired in
class. I examined test results and my
comments on students’ progress and used such data to further teaching and
learning activities in an outside the classroom. I was able to plan thought-provocative
activities to be conducted in the classroom.
I elicited the help of parents (or guardians) to engage in conversations that helped
the student at his or her particular developmental stage –in terms of
subject-matter standards and learning in general.
Most teachers know there is more to teaching than what meets
the eye. Some of us refuse to play the
role of babysitters that some administrators –and parents- want to impose
us. Yet, few people outside the teaching
profession understand what is involved in teaching. That’s why I cringed when the administrators
insisted in using my planning period to conduct “school-wide businesses” such
as those I have described elsewhere. We
teachers should be more vocal and show those who do not understand our teaching
role that the teaching profession needs to be respected and given the time and
resources we need to continue our work towards educating (yes, educating!) the
children we are responsible to teach.
