Filed under: Uncategorized
We, as educators, have an awesome responsibility in educating today’s youth. I really like how Freire ended his 4th letter in reference to “happy-joyful schools”. Schools that are willing to take risks and passionately embrace life help to provide students and teachers with substantial opportunities to grow and learn together. So many of our schools are focused on standardized testing and data driven to the point that that becomes the “life” of the school, not the students or staff. I appreciate the idea of conflict in the schools as a tool to grow and ignoring the “status quo”. To accomplish all of this we need teachers who are not afraid to take risks, teachers who are willing to share and learn from each other, and teachers who demonstrate the “joy of living”. It amazes me at times to look at the number of teachers in schools who don’t even appear to like children! I’m sure it didn’t begin that way! If we are not careful, schools with it’s increasing demands and beaurocracy can demoralize even the most tolerant, patient, person. We need to put ourselves (and our students) in environments that are challenging, respectful, and honest. This does not come without conflict or risk…but the rewards are worth it!
Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
I can so identify with what you are saying in relation to Freir. We do need to have teachers who are willing to question and advocate for what’s best for the child. I can easily see how the most passionate, and patient teachers can get burned out. There have been times this year, when I had to send a child back to the classroom, due to a lack of patience in working with a child. And the reality, it really had nothing to do with what the child had done…He couldn’t help it. It was an honest mistake. However, due to the massive amount of other responsibilities including grad. school, I don’t think I have done as good of a job in responding when there is a misunderstanding with a child. It is sad. I hope that this next semester will provide more of an opportunity to reflect on my teaching so that I can provide insight and explanation without losing that patience…This will help provide the connections needed to keep the pathways of learning open.
Comment byHi Dawn!
Comment byAs I read your blog, I couldn’t help but think of our discussion in our Play class this evening. I think that educators in general have lost sight of what is truly important in education…the developmental needs of the kids. With all of the politics, standardized testing, and reduction in recess how can we focus on the true needs of the children. I think you are absolutely right in the fact that we need more teachers to become “risk-takers”. Change has to start somewhere and I aim to be one of those “risk-takers” who can happily get the job done based on the needs of the individual child. If we all did our part maybe we could help turn our schools into the “happy-joyful schools” we all hope that they can be.
I also liked that Friere ended this chapter mentioning “happy joyful schools.” I completely agree with you that so many schools are focused on testing and data. Although we’re told not to “teach the test” and do paper/pencil type things, there is so much pressure on the teachers around testing time and there is a lot of time spent looking at and talking about the scores when they come back.
Unfortunately, I am one of those teachers that does not take risks. I admire you, Dawn, because I feel you DO take risks. You speak your mind in a way that I’m sure the teachers at your school, as well as your principal, respect you for it. I do share and learn from others and even feel I demonstrate the “joy of living.”
Comment byLeave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>