Teaching Pedagogy
The principals of Critical Pedagogy were originally developed by Paulo Freire (Smith, 2012). Today, it has become a social movement in education. The foundation of this pedagogy is built around the idea that students need to develop their own meanings while learning; additionally, teachers need to be facilitators in the classroom instead of instructors. Reflecting on my own ideas and beliefs about teaching and effective classroom environments, my pedagogy resembles Critical Pedagogy philosophies rather than the philosophies of traditional pedagogies.
I want to develop a classroom that is student-centered, where the needs and ideas of students are valued and incorporated into the curriculum. I plan to begin each new year by finding out what type of learners I have in the classroom – visual, audio, or kinesthetic. Additionally, I want to discover their goals for the class and topics that interest them; they need to be involved in the formation of the curriculum. I want my students to be involved in their education. Each class is different; I do not plan to have identical curriculums that are repeatedly used throughout my classes over several years. My curriculum will adapt to my unique set of students in every class, every year. The most effective learning occurs “when experts and novices work together for a common product or goal, and are therefore motivated to assist one another (Five Standards of Effective Pedagogy).” Learning is a collaborative effort that should not only educate students, as well as teachers, but it should motivate and inspire them as well.
History/Travel
My love for history has motivated me to travel in order to see all the places I have learned about throughout my education. As a result, my experiences traveling have also encouraged me to learn more about history as well – it has become a perpetuating cycle. Through my experiences, however, I have learned that to be a great teacher you not only have to have passion, but you also have to have these traveling, or fieldwork, experiences. It is difficult to teach about a culture or a nation that you have never witnessed. I hope to bring my experiences and my passion for traveling to my classroom in the hope of motivating my students to immerse themselves in what they love to learn about. Additionally, I want to demonstrate that I am still learning by traveling and being involved with different forms of fieldwork, such as archeological digs, because education does not have to stop after college. My goal is to create life-long learners because that is ultimately the purpose of education - it is a life-long process that creates well-rounded, compassionate world citizens.
Perspectives of History
History can be amazingly relevant. The themes seen throughout history and the struggles that people in the past have experienced can be found in the world today. I want them to understand the several perspectives in history, along with their importance, and, furthermore, encourage them to use their various perspectives to interpret history. Too often students only learn the textbook perspective of history and are rarely encouraged to define their own. I want to encourage my students to relate to history, such as the students in Josina Dunkel’s classroom at Stuyvesant High School in New York, NY did during their lesson on the French Revolution. These students were encouraged to take on the role of a French citizen during the Revolution and discuss the Revolution from the perspective of citizens (Making the French Revolution Meaningful, 2014). They further discussed the idea of revolutions: the causes and factors. These are ideas that students can connect with, share their opinions on, and perceive in the world today because a lot of the issues fought for during the French Revolution are still highly debated issues today – such as free education.
Student-Centered Classroom
I do not believe that the traditional pedagogy works. It encourages “schooling” rather than education (Smith, 2012). My pedagogy is centered on my students. It enforces a collaborative classroom that encourages academic discussion and provides support for my students’ opinions and perspectives. My classroom will be a safe environment where my students are free to express their ideas, communicate without fear, and feel that they have a role in their education. It will promote critical thinking and an objective outlook on the world and the various cultures and peoples that inhabit it. It will not be centered on the history written by the winners, but around the multiple perspectives and stories that make up history. It will promote the idea that we are all writing history and that not one perspective is more important than another – it is just another piece of the vast quilt that comprises history.
Resources
Five Standards of Effective Pedagogy. Teaching Tolerance: A Project of Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from http://www.tolerance.org/supplement/five-standards-effective-pedagogy.
Making the French Revolution Meaningful: Grades 9-12/European History (2014). Teaching Channel: Great Teaching Inspiring Classrooms. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-french-revolution.
Smith, M. K. (2012). ‘What is pedagogy?’ The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from http://infed.org/mobi/what-is-pedagogy/.
The principals of Critical Pedagogy were originally developed by Paulo Freire (Smith, 2012). Today, it has become a social movement in education. The foundation of this pedagogy is built around the idea that students need to develop their own meanings while learning; additionally, teachers need to be facilitators in the classroom instead of instructors. Reflecting on my own ideas and beliefs about teaching and effective classroom environments, my pedagogy resembles Critical Pedagogy philosophies rather than the philosophies of traditional pedagogies.
I want to develop a classroom that is student-centered, where the needs and ideas of students are valued and incorporated into the curriculum. I plan to begin each new year by finding out what type of learners I have in the classroom – visual, audio, or kinesthetic. Additionally, I want to discover their goals for the class and topics that interest them; they need to be involved in the formation of the curriculum. I want my students to be involved in their education. Each class is different; I do not plan to have identical curriculums that are repeatedly used throughout my classes over several years. My curriculum will adapt to my unique set of students in every class, every year. The most effective learning occurs “when experts and novices work together for a common product or goal, and are therefore motivated to assist one another (Five Standards of Effective Pedagogy).” Learning is a collaborative effort that should not only educate students, as well as teachers, but it should motivate and inspire them as well.
History/Travel
My love for history has motivated me to travel in order to see all the places I have learned about throughout my education. As a result, my experiences traveling have also encouraged me to learn more about history as well – it has become a perpetuating cycle. Through my experiences, however, I have learned that to be a great teacher you not only have to have passion, but you also have to have these traveling, or fieldwork, experiences. It is difficult to teach about a culture or a nation that you have never witnessed. I hope to bring my experiences and my passion for traveling to my classroom in the hope of motivating my students to immerse themselves in what they love to learn about. Additionally, I want to demonstrate that I am still learning by traveling and being involved with different forms of fieldwork, such as archeological digs, because education does not have to stop after college. My goal is to create life-long learners because that is ultimately the purpose of education - it is a life-long process that creates well-rounded, compassionate world citizens.
Perspectives of History
History can be amazingly relevant. The themes seen throughout history and the struggles that people in the past have experienced can be found in the world today. I want them to understand the several perspectives in history, along with their importance, and, furthermore, encourage them to use their various perspectives to interpret history. Too often students only learn the textbook perspective of history and are rarely encouraged to define their own. I want to encourage my students to relate to history, such as the students in Josina Dunkel’s classroom at Stuyvesant High School in New York, NY did during their lesson on the French Revolution. These students were encouraged to take on the role of a French citizen during the Revolution and discuss the Revolution from the perspective of citizens (Making the French Revolution Meaningful, 2014). They further discussed the idea of revolutions: the causes and factors. These are ideas that students can connect with, share their opinions on, and perceive in the world today because a lot of the issues fought for during the French Revolution are still highly debated issues today – such as free education.
Student-Centered Classroom
I do not believe that the traditional pedagogy works. It encourages “schooling” rather than education (Smith, 2012). My pedagogy is centered on my students. It enforces a collaborative classroom that encourages academic discussion and provides support for my students’ opinions and perspectives. My classroom will be a safe environment where my students are free to express their ideas, communicate without fear, and feel that they have a role in their education. It will promote critical thinking and an objective outlook on the world and the various cultures and peoples that inhabit it. It will not be centered on the history written by the winners, but around the multiple perspectives and stories that make up history. It will promote the idea that we are all writing history and that not one perspective is more important than another – it is just another piece of the vast quilt that comprises history.
Resources
Five Standards of Effective Pedagogy. Teaching Tolerance: A Project of Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from http://www.tolerance.org/supplement/five-standards-effective-pedagogy.
Making the French Revolution Meaningful: Grades 9-12/European History (2014). Teaching Channel: Great Teaching Inspiring Classrooms. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-french-revolution.
Smith, M. K. (2012). ‘What is pedagogy?’ The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from http://infed.org/mobi/what-is-pedagogy/.