Freire talks about what a teacher does, he/she must teach those (students)who know nothing. Teachers discipline while students are disciplined, the teacher chooses the curriculum,while the students who have no say about it just adapt to it, etc... Freire creates this whole list of basic things a teacher does. The teacher must "fill" students with information and the more they fill the students completely, the better the teacher is. And the more the students allow themselves to filled, the better the student is. When he/she is teaching "the teacher talks about reality as if it were motionless, static, compartmentalized, and predictable." They just say words and information with no actual meaning or significance. Like four times four is sixteen or the capital of Para is Belem and students then just record, memorize and repeat without finding out what 4 times 4 is sixteen really means or the significance of "capital" Freire says that because of this education is an act of depositing, teacher's are like depositors while students are depositories. He calls this " banking" education in which students can only receive, file and store the deposits given by teachers.That we as students just accept our ignorance and allow teachers to teach us without knowing that we as well teach our own teachers. He says this serves the purpose of the oppressors because the more we "fit" into this world, the less we question it.
Freire seems to have a negative view on education but there are many things he says that I find true, being someone who has been sent to school to be educated my whole life. For example, we come into school knowing "nothing" to be taught and educated until high school and then we decide whether or not we continue on to college. But even then our culture gives more to those who follow this path of education because in the end we receive a better and high payed job. We also learn to be disciplined by the teachers and learn the "rules" society has. We are constantly filled with knowledge that we have no say in or much understanding of. We just receive it and memorize making the more intelligent and "better" student. But why must we be graded on how much we memorize, does that really determine how smart or educated a person is? And are we really as ignorant as we are made to believe? Friere also talks of oppressors, in which education serves them because we begin to "fit" in the world already made and do not question it. But who are these oppressors? the teachers? government?
Copeland came into our class for a bit, he talked about how being a teacher doesn't mean you stop learning after get your degree, one must constantly become more educated, by reading newspapers, watching news, etc. He also spoke of how he wanted to inform his students about oppressed people's struggles and show how many of those oppressed groups connect and share common goals. A student questioned him why must he must learn more if he had learned everything he needed to know and teach in college. Copeland answered by saying that everyday there are new events, occurrences, etc and i must inform myself to better teach students. Someone else asked him if he believed in the Super - teacher figure, but he said no, absolutely not that it was just a movie. We drifted a bit and spoke of music and he said music makes you more of a whole person no matter what type of music you listen to.
I thought it was interesting how he said he felt like he was learning everyday, usually teachers don't say this. And it made him a teacher who did care about the education he was giving his students. The more he learned, the more he could teach his students and even connect current events to those of in the past. What he said he taught in class wasn't what is usually taught in a regular history class, the most you learn about is the groups being oppressed and then move on to next unit. He made it seem like he tried to show how different oppressed groups connect and maybe connect to one.
Ms. D also came into our class to be interviewed and talked about how she first began working not as a teacher but in filming and then in a non - profit organization. But she didn't seem to enjoy it, and realized she liked working with teens more than younger kids, because she could create a bond or connection with teens . She didn't see herself as filmmaker or anything else, because she didn't have a vision she thought the world needed to see. But at the same time she said it was hard to create that connection as a teacher because there was a certain line she couldn't"t cross in a student and teacher relationship. And could only create this connection if the student allowed her to and didn't have a problem sharing their personal life.
It was nice to hear once that teacher honestly cared about her students and didn't only want to teach them but create a connection with her students. Making a student feel comfortable and have the choice to talk to a teacher about something other than schoolwork. And for some people who don't have anyone to talk to at home or else where is pretty great. And she saw she could do more as a teacher with students than if she would've gone into school policy. And unlike her before jobs, i think she was more satisfied and happy with her students at the end of a long day.
Gatto gives six lessons the teacher should know, # 1 stay in class where you belong, he says he doesn't know why his students must endure being locked together but he must enforce the rule. Like a prison cell and can not leave until the class is over. # 2 we must turn our light on and off, meaning our brain in every class must turn it on and understand math then turn it off when class is over and enter another class and must turn on again. Making it impossible to ever finish fully learning something in a class. # 3 is basically to teach students to allow themselves to be controlled and like a slave or prisoner we need a pass to leave to go to bathroom for a few minutes of freedom. #4 is only teacher determines the curriculum, the students have no say about it. This is when being labeled as good or bad kid is determined, the less student fights against the task and shows enthusiasm = good kid, if they fight and don' t do task then they are labeled as the bad kid. # 5 teachers must always evaluate and judge student, through tests, grades, and report cards. Allowing others to judge them as well through this evaluation like parents, fellow students and one day colleges. # 6 is student is always being watched through whole entire class, they have no private time. Students are even encouraged to "tattle" on other students. This surveillance even goes home where must do homework.
Gatto makes these lesson like the bible for teachers, and everything he said teachers must do is true. For example # 1 we as students must stay in class at certain time and place, we can not just enter whichever class we want. Is it because there will be chaos or because the teachers would rather have authority over this? #2 is definitely correct, I do feel like every time i enter class must automatically learn and remember things that are being taught in a certain class for example math and then turn the "switch" off and enter my science class to once again turn it back on something totally different. For his third lesson he talks of how we must get a pass to go to bathroom, but why must we have a pass to pee?! or be 5 minutes late to class? Will those five minutes really impact my learning? His fifth lesson I really connected with this year, because for me this is the year that counts for the colleges, I will have the possibility to enter depending on the evaluation my teachers give me. But why must someone determine my capacity or intelligence with just a letter? A? F? His last lesson #6 is how we are always being watched by our teachers even with the homework we are given everyday. When I could be learning something other than what I learn in class, something more meaningful and productive.
Delpit in silenced dialogue speaks about how those who do not come into school knowing certain content or skills are placed in remedial classes as if they weren't capable of "critical and higher-order thinking and reasoning." She says that instead of doing this they should not separate children because of different family background but to have strategies for all the children. She also talks about " cultural power" and codes some have versus others, those she says don't have these is the non - white and poor students/families. That schools don' t realize the reason why they are not taught these certain things is because kids are instead being taught by their families how to live and learn the codes of their own life and community. She continues to give a list of what her theory of " cultural power" is. For example, how much power education has, because schooling determines the job and status a person will have in the future.
I noticed she seemed to put all culture groups that weren't Caucasian or wealthy together, and how they seemed to be the ones who had trouble knowing the codes and content many of the other kids come in knowing. Is this really true? I find myself wondering why this is, but then she talks about how its because one is taught other things to fit in our community. And that when we become part of school community, it is something alien to one who is not white or wealthy. I am still not convinced that all Caucasian come in knowing content or that none of those who are non - white don't come in knowing some or all content. And the solution she seems to give for this is pretty absurd, how can teacher figure out a strategy that will be good for EVERY single student? When she talks of codes it reminded me of a lecture in my college class where we talked about how many of the kids in bad neighborhoods sometimes escape by getting jobs during summer but that at these jobs they learn the codes of another culture outside of theirs. And I think these are the codes she says many of those non- white and poor kids don't come in knowing, and I agree sometimes it is because they are not given the chance to learn these codes, but it doesn't make them less intelligent than the ones who do know these codes.
