Freire’s Third Letter
Freire said it best in his third letter when he said that educators need to walk and teach with a humble heart and to put away the veil of the authoritarian whom bears the burden of having all the answers and knows everything that is important. Not all cultures are the same as my own. I have to come to grips with the fact that not all people like to run their mouth as much I do. I love the idea Tateishi shares about creating lessons where students have a more structured involvement in the discussions. That was a great idea. We, as educators, must make it a priority to learn about other cultures beyond key historical figures, battles, and important dates. We need to learn about the people/ the students in our class; that is what is most important.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:10 am
Jon, I always like to hear your opinion because you have such a unique way of expressing yourself! I, too, liked the suggestions Tateishi offered about structuring talk in the classroom, but I think all students would benefit from those approaches. Language issues are not limited to Asian students. We have all been taught about learning styles and the multiple intelligences, but courtesy and respect for all also need to be addressed regardless of cultural and ethnicity biases.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:15 pm
“to walk and teach with a humble heart” is some of the best advice that any teacher can get. We (teachers) are not the end all, be all of what is learned in our classrooms. There is so much to be learned from everyone involved – students, parents and entire families, as well as the teacher. Everyone needs to be validated and made aware of how important they truly are!