4life teaching philosophy
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4
Living Experience & Truth Integrated Individuality Flow Teaching Everyday Care |
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4: “Why do I have to learn this?” is a phrase too well known by educators. My students have asked this question so many times, regardless of the school subject. Students deserve to understand why they learn the content being taught to them, but most importantly they also need to understand who they are learning it for. As educators we need to emphasize to our students that learning is one of the most selfless acts that they can do for themselves, their families, their communities, and for society. To learn is not merely enough to do for ourselves, but we learn for the betterment of the people and world around us.
“...Individual self-actualization is not enough if it does not translate into action. Facing the fear and shame of oppression requires that we build communities of resistance ...” (Strobel, 2001, p. 9).
“...Individual self-actualization is not enough if it does not translate into action. Facing the fear and shame of oppression requires that we build communities of resistance ...” (Strobel, 2001, p. 9).
Living Experience & Truth: “I’m not smart enough for school,” is something we never want to hear our students say. The way we teach we must always remind our students that their skills and value goes beyond what they do in school walls. Their everyday lived realities is another classroom. We just have to remind them that maintaining hopes and dreams, building resiliency, sharing their narratives, nurturing their home and community spaces, and maneuvering through obstacles put up by social institutions - is a wealth of its own.
Integrated Individuality: "Does the final have to be an essay?” Not unless you can make something else out of what you learned. All of the students we work with are unique in their own way - so why try to pretend they are not. I believe that there exists more than four different types of learners, meaning that traditional essays and multiple choice tests are not always the best way to gauge a student’s confidence and ability to showcase what they have learned While it is vital we teach our students how to succeed in these forms of testing, we must also find ways to empower them in demonstrating their ability to apply their knowledge in other ways.
Flow Teaching: "I don't know, I don't know anything." An important practice I incorporate with the classrooms and students I work with, is to challenge the teacher-student hierarchy. In many spaces our students become accustomed to believing that teachers are the only source of knowledge. We need to reframe that concept, and inform them that educators are always learning alongside with them. As an educator, we are also lifelong learners that learn something new everyday from our students. Learning together should never be seen as transactional, we need to foster spaces where our students have the opportunity to see learning as transformational.
“Through dialogue, the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a a new term emerges: teacher-student with student-teachers...[here] they become jointly responsible for a process in which all grow,” (Freire, 1970, p. 93).
“Through dialogue, the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a a new term emerges: teacher-student with student-teachers...[here] they become jointly responsible for a process in which all grow,” (Freire, 1970, p. 93).
Everyday Care: "You won't understand." It is our responsibility to understand, nurture, and empower our students. It is also ensuring that we create a space where they have the feeling of safety, and are able to have the ownership to their education. Asking “hey, how are you today”, is there anything I can help you with?” in the morning. Ending the day with “I appreciate you for being here and the energy you put in.” My daily teaching practices are diligent in affirming students in how they are feeling. It is also emphasizing how important they are to the space and community around them. We must care for our students in not just the ways we tend to their wellness, but to also ensure we put care and authenticity into the curriculum we create for them (and with them). The lessons and values in the classroom must be culturally response so that it reflects their experiences, it must challenge their critical thinking skills, and it must always be relevant to their worlds and struggles. We must work with them to show how to take care of themselves and their communities.
“...Learning should be premised on authentic caring...youth prefer to be cared for before they care about school, especially when the curriculum is impersonal, irrelevant, and test driven,” (Valenzuela, 1999, p. 136).
“...Learning should be premised on authentic caring...youth prefer to be cared for before they care about school, especially when the curriculum is impersonal, irrelevant, and test driven,” (Valenzuela, 1999, p. 136).