You have read a chapter from Paulo Friere's Pedagogy of Freedom. You are to post a reflection on what you have learned from this reading that you would apply in your teaching. Be sure to cite from the reading to support your thoughts. Looking forward to reading your reflections.
Prof. Arlinda Lopez
UPR, Agudilla
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After having read chapter 3 of Paulo Freire’s book “Pedagogy of Freedom”, I have taken into more consideration certain aspects of teaching. There were various topics mentioned where I felt I had vague knowledge however throughout the reading it basically reaffirmed and enhanced what I barely knew. Throughout this statement I will cite some of the author’s quotes that drew my attention and explain how I as a future educator will apply it to my profession and all of its surroundings.
ReplyDeleteI will begin with a quote found on the first page of the reading: “When I enter a classroom I should be someone who is open to new ideas, open to questions, and open to the curiosities of the students as well as their inhibitions”. As a future educator of the 21st century I will be faced with a variety of cultures, modern technology as well as new teaching strategies, different from those used by a teacher in a classroom ten years ago. I mention this because I feel that in order to achieve teaching I must take into consideration innovative methods that will satisfy my student’s inquiries, expand their horizons and at the same time incorporate their contributions in my classroom. My educational philosophy is a student centered one where the student plays an active role in his or her learning; in my opinion there is no one better to give advice on what methods are more effective in teaching than those made by the students themselves.
Another quote that appealed to me is found on page 53, “All of which brings us back again to the preeminence of education experience and to its eminently ethical character, which in its turn leads us to the radical nature of “hope”. In other words, though I know that things can get worse, I also know that I am able to intervene to improve them.” This is an aspect that I take very seriously due to Puerto Rico’s reality. Puerto Rico’s Department of Education is facing serious issues that not only affect teachers and students if not the whole community as well. There are deficiencies in our educational resources and it seems that every time there is a change in government there are even more setbacks in today’s schools. I am aware of the high percentage of school abandonment and the lack of parental involvement in schools but I do believe I have the capabilities to make change and improve the situation around me. Just by coordinating workshops given by professionals for parents or even bringing in motivational speakers to my class are small steps I can take to improve to progress in today’s situation. I as an educator need to use my potential and influence in a positive matter, by making drastic decisions and taking action in order to accomplish one specific goal: student’s success.
The last quote I will cite is on page 65, “My respect as a teacher for the student, for his/her curiosity and fear that I ought not to curtail or inhibit by inappropriate gestures or attitudes, demands of me the cultivation of humility and tolerance.” There are many more quotes in this reading that I do not mention however am keen on but I must say that this specific quote is in fact important if not the most valuable key to becoming an effective teacher. Why? Today’s society is faced with a variety of problems such as poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, violence etc. When a teacher has 30 students in a classroom he/she has to take in mind that each student is a world of their own. Some slower than others while others physically appear to be apt for the lesson, these are just some factors that are visible in simple observation. A teacher has the duty to respect each and every one of those students no matter where she/he assumes they are from and not disregard their inquiries and participation. By cultivating tolerance and humility I am modeling my humanistic side to my learners, I am respecting them and being sensible to their needs. I am human and I know some frustrations await me in this field but we are all created equal, so who am I to discount or decrease my students learning? By accepting my students how they are and focusing on their qualities and working with these to promote learning and not centering my teaching to what I consider flaws take me in the direction of success and effectiveness.
ReplyDeleteBeing a teacher comes with many responsibilities and to a certain extent “power”, having certain qualities in your persona allows you to reach out to your students by just caring. A child’s education is in my hands, it is up to me if I want to be a bad memory in that child’s life or have changed the learner’s life in a positive way. What I model and transfer to my students is what they are going to take with them when they are faced in the real world.
Teachers should have many characteristics. Among many other characteristics, they should be knowledgeable, open to new ideas, and involved in the teaching process. In order to be involved in the teaching process, teachers have to be engaged in the classroom and not just transfer their knowledge into the students but rather help them construct and produce that knowledge. It is also very important to become an example for the students and to try to think correctly when it comes helping them produce knowledge. However, this is a very difficult task because one has to think about what is the right way of thinking or on the contrary, what is the wrong way of thinking. Nonetheless, one must always try to strive to do our best in everything we do which will require us to be constantly working. As teachers, we have to maintain a moderate posture which might be provoked to change by many different situations including the students themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt is relevant to have in mind that nobody is perfect. Even though we all strive for what is best, as humans we are “unfinished”. In other words, we are always learning, we are always doing. According to the author of the article “Teaching Is Not Just Transferring Knowledge,” through this process we become aware of our surroundings and of our capacity to learn. With time, it helps us realize that not only we are able to learn but to intervene in the world in order to improve it. In fact, this is what it means to help create knowledge. It is a matter of intervening to create or produce something better to improve the students’ capacities which will eventually influence their future. Additionally, the author adds that as teachers we have to “respect the students’ autonomy”. If we do not treat them as individuals who are free to express themselves, we may become authoritarian teachers which may have a negative effect on the students. However, it is imperative to create a limit in this freedom in order to maintain a balance in the classroom. Overall, we need to have a positive mind that we can make a difference, respect the students, provide a good example for them, and use our imagination in order to be able to help the students be active learners and create their knowledge.
As we all should know teachers now in days have lots of characteristics, which are very beneficial for them to get to involve the students in the teaching process. One interesting quote in the reading is this one “When I enter a classroom I should be someone who is open to new ideas, open to questions, and open to the curiosities of the students as well as their inhibitions”. Some of the characteristics that can be mentioned which I think that are the fundamental ones are that teachers should be extremely knowledgeable in there area of teaching and in other areas, they also have to be concern that teaching is a process that consentingly is in evolution and that they have to be always actualized, and focus also involved in the teaching process. In my opinion teachers have to help their students achieve their knowledge not trying to transfer the teachers own knowledge. In other words let the students build their knowledge through their experience. It can be difficult, being a role model to students because teachers have to evaluate what can be a correct way of thinking or an incorrect one. Although teachers have to have always something very important in mind, which is that everything they do can provoke a negative situation or a positive one. But teachers have to always try to do their best in everything this will help them to be better each day. We should have always in think that not being perfect is part of are lives and that is what makes it motivating. Because if everything could be like we want it to be it would not have sense, this is why even life is a process of evolution. Teachers can not impose students their knowledge this can be negative in the students future life maybe as a professional. This is why I as a future teacher will let my students express themselves. But although I know that I also have to implement rules to keep up with my objective. As my classmates said the goal is student’s success but also future teacher’s success.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the “Pedagogy of Freedom’, I found myself reflecting on what a good teacher should be. Anybody can be a teacher, but a good teacher must be a person willing to be completely engaged in the teaching process. A good teacher must have knowledge of what he/she is teaching, must be prepared, must be a role model, must be dedicated and truly love what they do. We must get students involved in the learning process and not just feed them knowledge; students must construct their own meaning.
ReplyDeleteOne quote that I found interesting throughout the reading is “In speaking of the construction of knowledge, I ought to be involved, practically incarnationally in such construction and be involving the students in it also”, this to me states that as a future teacher, I cannot be disengaged in my student’s production; I must be a part of it always. I must find ways to help my students in all aspects. Another quote I liked was “My presence in the world is not so much of someone merely adapting to something ‘external’ but of someone who is inserted as if belonging essentially to it”, I have to be someone who truly believes she belongs in a classroom. I cannot be second guessing myself because that doubt is translated in everything that I do and the students will see this. I must demonstrate to my students that I am a good educator and that I am there to help them.
Further reading, another quote I liked was “Our capacity to learn, the source of our capacities to teach suggests and implies that we also have a capacity to grasp the substantivness essence of the objects of our knowing”, we as teachers are always learning from our mistakes, from others and learning new knowledge that helps us in our journey. We have the capacity of change and better ourselves for the sake of others. The last quote I liked was” As a teacher, I ought to know that I can neither teach nor learn unless driven, disturbed and forced to search by the energy that curiosity brings to my being… To exercise any curiosity correctly is a right that I have as a person and to which there corresponds a responsibility to struggle in defense of this right”, as teacher we have to love our job. We have to have drive and the passion. We must have curiosities that enable us to reach beyond our horizon and search for better ways to teach. We cannot be simple-minded; we have to keep looking for ways to bring across that knowledge.
This chapter was very helpful because it gave us a glimpse of what a good teacher is. And I say a glimpse because no book can prepare you for what you will find out in the classroom. When we become teachers, we will construct our own meaning of what a good teacher is and must do for the sake of the students.